For The Better
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: When Yang's parents sign her up for anger management therapy sessions, she isn't at all happy about it, especially when she's confronted with animosity by one of her fellow classmates. Although first impressions are important, Yang discovers they aren't everything; anyone can change. [Anger Management AU].
1. Chapter 1

**Commission for alexander-the-amazing, who requested a fic in their Anger Management AU. I wrote it more like a group therapy session/discussions type thing, though. Takes place in a normal life. Rated T for language.**

 **I plan to make this a two-shot, so keep an eye out for part 2!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

For The Better

Part 1.

To Yang Rose-Xiao Long, dread was waking up to the sound of her phone's alarm at 8AM on a Saturday morning while the rest of the world was sleeping in.

Presently, she groaned in frustration as she reached over to her nightstand and silenced her phone.

 _This is so goddamn stupid. I don't need to go._

She flipped back over and pulled the blankets up over her head, doing what she did best in ignoring her responsibilities. Her right shoulder ached a bit from being still all night, and she had no choice but to reach out beneath the covers and stretch.

Her prosthetic arm didn't feel as strongly as her real one, but there were still plenty of prickles of discomfort stemming from the nerve endings that hadn't been completely severed. She made a fist and growled under her breath.

"You're part of the reason I've gotta go through this bullshit in the first place."

She was still pissed about her current situation. She'd been pissed about a lot of things for a long time now, but currently, her negative energies were focused around Saturday mornings.

Her parents had signed her up to take anger management classes.

When Yang had first found out, she'd blown up in their faces, shouting defensively that she didn't need such treatment. But long after she'd stormed off, stomped to her room, and slammed the door, she'd realized her reaction had been exactly the thing they'd been seeking to fix when they'd signed her up.

She couldn't remember the last time someone had told her news about something she didn't like and she _hadn't_ exploded in a fit of rage and curses.

 _They think this'll fix me. Fuckin' bullshit. Nothing can 'fix' me..._

She felt she deserved to be angry, after all she'd been through within the past three years. As soon as she'd started college, her life had gone to shit.

It had started with the fact that she'd been enrolled in a different college than her best friend of eighteen years, Blake Belladonna. While Yang had stayed local, Blake had gotten a scholarship to a college in a neighboring town, about two hours away. After being together for all of middle school and high school, the pair of best friends had been split apart.

Yang had tried to keep in touch, always calling Blake to ask if she'd like to meet up on the weekends to get a drink or go see a movie together.

But Blake was always busy, it seemed, always needing to study for something or finish some kind of work or make plans with somebody else. Yang had just felt as though she was being forgotten, as though being together for a decade as one another's best friends had suddenly all crumbled down within the course of a few weeks.

A year after that, Ruby had graduated high school, and ended up going to the same college as Blake. Ruby had always known Blake because of her friendship with Yang, but Yang had never expected the two of them to start _dating_.

That had felt like the ultimate betrayal in a way. The two people she'd loved most in the world now only having eyes for one another.

Yang had been pushed aside somewhere unimportant as Ruby and Blake had more or less eloped to their faraway college to be together, leaving Yang behind. She was always getting left behind...

As she felt the old memories rising up and threatening to consume her, Yang shook her head, not willing to give those thoughts her attention any more than she already had.

She lay there for a while longer, until the air she was breathing beneath the blankets became too stale for her to handle. She yanked the covers down away from her face to glare up at the underside of Ruby's bunk bed.

It was around the middle of the current semester, so Ruby was still away at college with Blake, leaving Yang to live home alone with their parents.

Ruby always made sure to call every once in a while, and she'd always be sure to pass the phone to Blake as well.

But Yang never really enjoyed talking to them anymore. They always seemed to brag about what things they'd accomplished, what they were planning to do together - without her. When they asked her how she was doing, it never felt like they actually wanted to know, so Yang never really gave them honest answers.

She hated that she couldn't be happy for them since they were happy together.

She hated feeling like the world was pit against her, even though she felt that wasn't the case.

She hated a lot of things, recently.

Which only led to more frustrations, more cursing, more anger...

She rolled over, snorting as she glared at her phone, seeking the time. It was 8:24 now. Anger management classes began at 9 sharp.

 _No. I don't have to go. I don't need that crap. What the hell can sitting around in a circle and talking about our problems do to help anyone? It's not like I'm a psychopath or some drug-addict who needs fixing. I can take care of myself..._

But these thoughts seemed awfully familiar to her.

How many times had she told herself these things? That she could handle herself and change for the better whenever she wanted to? If she was so good at taking care of herself and initiating change in her own lifestyle, then why had she been so _goddamn miserable_ these past three years?

 _Fuck..._

She tossed over again, grunting as she closed her eyes, trying to ignore the rest of the world and all the problems that came with it.

But now that she'd been thinking about the past, her mind took her exactly where she didn't want to go.

It was a summer morning, and she was driving to the florist to pick up a bouquet for Summer's birthday. Another car ran a red light and was headed straight for her-

Gasping, Yang pushed herself up from her bed and cried out in frustration, slamming her flesh fist against the headboard.

" _Damn_ it!"

She could already feel the sting of tears behind her eyes, but refused to let them fall.

No way was she going to fall back asleep _now_.

So she fought her way out from beneath the blankets and left her bed un-made as she lumbered to her dresser. She grabbed whatever clothes she touched first and yanked them out, then went to the bathroom, slamming the door behind herself.

She only freshened up the bare minimum required for going out in public. She didn't have anyone to impress, after all.

After she pulled on her shorts and tank top, she walked heavily down the stairs. Summer and her father were already in the kitchen, and the smell of bread and eggs wafted up to greet Yang.

Taiyang looked up from where he'd been reading the newspaper with Zwei in his lap.

"Hey! Mornin', kiddo."

"Hey..."

Yang took her seat at the table, refusing to look at the place where Ruby normally sat. Summer greeted her sweetly and placed a pate of food in front of her. Yang's step-mother washed her hands, then patted them dry on her apron before taking her seat.

"So Yang, do you have any plans for the day?"

She didn't ask about the anger management classes directly, even though she and Taiyang were paying for them and had every right to know whether or not Yang was attending them. The girl shrugged as she cut into her scrambled eggs.

"Dunno. I'm just gonna go out."

That was all she said throughout the meal. When she was finished, she put her plate into the sink, took a swig of water from a bottle, then grabbed a sweatshirt from the hall closet.

The springtime weather was warm, but she still didn't like the looks people gave her when they saw her prosthetic arm. So she was sure to cover it up in the sleeve of the sweatshirt before stepping outside.

It was a nice day, but Yang could hardly appreciate it. Not when she knew exactly where she planned on going today.

 _I can't believe I'm actually gonna buy into that group therapy crap..._

Nonetheless, she was already awake and out of the house, and there was nowhere else her family was paying her to be.

She shoved her hands into her pockets to conceal her false hand, then made her way to the sidewalks. She passed the driveway without giving it a second glance.

After the accident, her own car had gotten totaled, and even despite her parents' offers to get her a new one or let her use one of theirs, Yang opted not to drive if she didn't have to. She'd only ever been in a car a few times since she'd lost her arm, but never once had she herself driven in nearly two years now.

She knew where in town she'd need to go for these stupid classes, and she knew it was about a twenty-minute walk. She checked her phone again to see it was 8:45.

"What's that thing they say? Better late than never? Sure."

She didn't hurry to make it on time either.

She took her time walking at a leisurely pace, ignoring all the glances and advances of the interested young adults who looked her way. She'd had plenty of people ask her out during high school, and again in college years. But she couldn't care less about romance.

With Blake and Ruby so happily together, Yang always felt bitter about the thought of being romantically involved with someone. She didn't have the time or energy for that crap.

By the time she'd made it to the building, it was 9:13. She paused at the doors, ran a hand through her hair, and let out a long breath.

"Can't _believe_ I'm doing this..."

She pushed inside, finding herself in small lobby area. A woman sat behind a desk and looked up to greet her.

"Good morning. Are you here for the 9 o'clock class?"

Yang shuffled over, keeping her hands buried.

"Yeah."

"Last name, please?"

"Rose-Xiao Long."

The woman handed her an attendance sheet and a pen. Grimacing, Yang had no choice but to extract her prosthetic arm to write.

She'd tried to learn how to use her left, but she was a righty by nature, and even with the prosthetic, her body functioned more comfortably when she used her right hand. Her arm had been this way for two years, and by now her handwriting was as good as it had been before the accident. She just didn't like showing her arm if she didn't have to.

As soon as she'd signed in, she hid her hand in her pocket once more. The woman accepted the paper, then directed her to a set of doors across the room.

"Your group and instructor are already inside. I believe they only just got started."

Yang plastered on a short-lived smile.

"Thanks."

If she hadn't already signed in, she might've walked out again.

 _Goddamn, this is so stupid..._

She pushed open the set of doors and walked into a gym-like area. That surprised her, because she'd been expecting some prim-and-proper office setting or a doctor's room. A gym was much more her style.

The lights were all on, and a circle of fold-up chairs was positioned in the center. All but three of the fifteen chairs were filled, and all of the twelve other occupants turned to look at her as she entered.

One girl with long white hair who was wearing a blue sundress spoke up sharply.

"Look who decided to show up."

Yang gawked at her, utterly speechless. She looked behind herself, but there was no one else there.

The white-haired girl was clearly talking about Yang, accusing her like she was some kind of criminal.

That got her blood boiling.

"Um, _excuse_ me? Do we know each other?"

The other girl scoffed, crossed her arms, and looked away.

"Fortunately not," she huffed.

Yang was outraged. Who the hell did this prissy girl think she was, picking a verbal fight with her the second she walked in?

Yang was torn between the options of storming out and splintering the doors as she did so, or charging forward to punch the brat in the throat.

But before she could do either, an older woman with strawberry-blonde hair and intelligent eyes behind dark-rimmed glasses stood from her seat.

"Miss Schnee," she said sternly to the other girl. "That is no way to greet one of your fellow group mates. You're here to make progress, not _re_ gress."

The girl in the blue dress sighed as though she'd been done a great injustice, but she said nothing more.

Yang still hadn't moved from her spot, but she had to admit it felt satisfying to see the other girl get put into her place.

The woman then walked over towards her, trying to stay composed and professional.

"I apologize. As you can see, we're all a bit on-edge for our first session together. That's one of many things we plan to work on." She extended her hand. "My name is Glynda Goodwitch. I will be your instructor for the next four months. May I have your name?"

Yang glanced down at the woman's hand. She'd offered her right, which would make Yang use her right as well. So she simply opted not to shake.

"Yang Rose-Xiao Long," she muttered. "Just call me Yang."

The woman didn't seem all that bothered by her lack of a handshake.

"Then please, Miss Yang. Come and choose a seat. We'll be getting started now."

Yang walked behind her instructor towards the chairs and the other people gathered there. Of the three empty chairs, two of them were on either side of the girl who'd snapped at her when she'd first walked in.

 _Now I see why no one wanted to sit next to you..._

Thinking as much, Yang plopped herself down into the last empty seat, in between a dark-skinned girl and a paler boy. Yang kept her hands in her pockets as Glynda called for attention to begin the session.

"Now then, I'd like to have us get started. As you all know, these sessions will be anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half long, once a week on Saturdays, same time, same place. We're here to try and help not only ourselves, but one another as well.

"I'd like to get started with simple introductions. Tell us your name and why you're here. You don't have to reveal anything you don't want to. And please remember, everything said within these walls is absolutely confidential. You all agreed to those terms when you signed in this morning. No one is to share any information about anyone else outside of this room."

With that she gave her own introduction once more, and then let the rest of them begin.

Yang waited her turn, listening to the handful of people to her right side as they gave their names and told why they were here.

They all seemed to have pretty shitty lives, as far as Yang could tell.

There were a lot of people who seemed to have problems like hers; abandonment, trust issues, tense family lives. All things that could easily ignite a destructive response, be it physical, emotional, or otherwise.

She listened to the boy beside her – Mercury – tell of how he'd once gotten into a physical fight with his drunken father and how they'd both ended up in the hospital.

Yang shuddered and counted her blessings.

When it was her turn, she spoke awkwardly.

"Uh... My name's Yang. I kinda just feel... like no one cares about me, y'know?"

To her surprise, everyone else around her nodded as if they knew all too well.

She made sure not to look at the bossy white-haired girl, though. Yang didn't care for her opinion.

She went on.

"My birth mom left me when I was a baby. My dad re-married and had my sister with his new wife. My step-mom's super nice. But... I dunno. I just feel like she'll never truly like or accept me as her own daughter. It kinda feels like whatever relationship we've had together was totally fake. It sucks." The anger was beginning to drip into her voice, and a snarl curled her lips. "And like, it's not _my_ fault my mom gave birth to me and then just abandoned me, y'know?"

She went on to tell about how her best friend and sister had more or less run off together and left her behind.

"So basically, my mom left me, I'm distant with my step-mom, my uncle never really seemed to like me either, and my best friend and sister are off having the time of their lives together while I just get left behind. And it all pisses me off."

She finished speaking and slouched back in her chair, looking down at the ground, avoiding all eye contact.

At the very least, no one else here offered words of pity or sympathy, so she appreciated that.

Sensing Yang was finished, Glynda cleared her throat.

"Thank you for sharing. Next please."

They girl beside Yang introduced herself as Arslan, and went on a discourse about how she was always made to take care of others without getting the same treatment in return.

Yang was mildly interested in these peoples' stories by now.

At least until it was a certain white-haired girl's turn.

"Next," Glynda said. "Miss Schnee."

Yang grunted distastefully and yawned in an effort to drown the girl out.

The bossy girl straightened up immediately when it was her turn to speak.

"I'm Weiss. And... I guess I'm here because of my father. My mother died when I was very young, and my older sister's been out of the picture for the past several years to join the military.

"My father has very strict rules at home. If I'm not where I'm supposed to be on the dot, I get punished. He's not an alcoholic, but he does drink, and sometimes he gets violent... Sometimes I get scared, but sometimes I just fight back. I yell a lot. I guess that's what I'd most like to improve on."

She finished rather abruptly, and on a note no one else had succeeded in bringing to the room thus far. Everyone else had ended rather negatively, but this girl had let the prospect of improvement be the last thing on her lips.

They heard from one more person, and before Yang knew it, their session was over. Glynda gave them a closing speech.

"Thank you all for your honesty today. Remember that everything you've heard here is to remain confidential from others. Before we leave, please get in a circle and shake hands with all your fellows. And until we see each other again next week, please do your best to think before you take action the next time you find yourself unhappy."

Yang did as instructed and began shaking hands with everyone, though since she always gave her left hand, the other person always had to quickly change arms.

All except one.

As it turned out, Weiss Schnee was a southpaw, and gave her left hand to Yang without hesitation. Yang snorted faintly as she took it, and gave a bit of a hard squeeze to those manicured nails.

Weiss recoiled.

"Hey!"

But Yang didn't turn back. She simply headed for the doors, eager to get out of here.

But to her surprise, the patter of irritated footsteps followed her.

"Excuse you! Didn't you hear me _talking_ to you?"

Yang rolled her eyes as she whipped around.

"Oh, sorry, _princess_. Does it annoy you when someone doesn't listen to you? Just because you're rich I guess that means we all gotta bow down to you, right?"

Yang almost laughed due to the mix of shock and outrage on Weiss' face. Her jawline tightened, as did her fists.

"Well, if you're going to be like that, then you don't _deserve_ to hear what I've got to say! Forget it! Someone who can't even manage to be _punctual_ wouldn't understand, anyway!"

Yang grit her teeth, that familiar red rage boiling up inside of her again.

Without thinking, she lashed out with her right arm and grabbed the girl by the collar of her dress.

Weiss' challenging expression quickly melted into one of shock, and she gasped as she was yanked forward, nose to nose with Yang.

"Listen, you prissy little _bitch_ -"

"Miss Long!"

Glynda's shout cut Yang off. She looked up to see that all the other people who'd been about to leave the room had all frozen to stare at her.

When Yang looked back down to the girl in her grasp, she realized Weiss was shaking, her blue eyes wide with dismay.

Yang's stomach twisted.

She let her go just as Glynda arrived.

"What is going on here?"

Yang flashed a look at her, but refused to look at Weiss again.

"Sorry. Bad temper."

"I can see that," the woman said sternly. "But that is exactly what we're all coming here to fix, Miss Long. Now, being this was only our first session, I understand our anger might still get the better of us. But we're all going to work together these next several weeks to help ourselves improve, correct?"

As Glynda was talking her down, Yang turned away and shoved her fake hand back into her pocket.

"Yeah. Sorry."

Mumbling as much, she slipped through the crowd of her subdued classmates and headed briskly out of the building.

The flame of her anger had been quickly extinguished, to the point now where she felt exhausted, even defeated. In her pockets, her fists were clenching the fabrics of her sweatshirt so tightly her nails were digging into her palms.

 _What the hell_ was _that...?_

It wasn't often her fits got violent, but it did happen, more often than she cared to admit.

She'd acted out several times before in her rage, often taking it out on some innocent lamp post or tree trunk. She'd nearly put a hole in her bedroom wall once, but after that had resorted to sneaking out of the house to bash her fists and shoes against whatever sturdy structure she could find while just cursing her heart out.

But this had been the first time she'd taken it out on another person in a physical manner.

She'd never gotten angry like that with Blake or her family before. She assumed it was because no matter how angry she ever got at them, her kinder emotional bonds to them were much stronger.

But today, she'd taken it out on a stranger.

And she hated herself for it. So, so much.

 _And she was someone in my frickin' anger management class for God's sake!_

Not only did her actions speak volumes about her own issues, but clearly since Weiss had been attending the same classes, she didn't have the best family life or emotional balance, either.

"I'm so fuckin' stupid... Christ..." Yang kicked the nearest fire hydrant as she passed it, causing pain to shoot up her shin, but she didn't care.

 _I deserve it after that fiasco_.

She made her way back home, and when her parents asked her how her day had gone, she just told them "fine" and retreated to her room.

Ruby called her a while later, but Yang didn't pick up. She didn't feel like dealing with people anymore. She'd done enough of that for one day, and look where it had gotten her.

After a quiet dinner with her parents, Yang laid in her bed and recalled the events of the day.

She'd met a lot of other people just like her, all in similar situations. They were all suffering from different kinds of anger displacement, and they'd all gotten out of bed that morning to try and do something good for themselves.

Yang didn't feel so alone anymore.

But she was still feeling guilty about what she'd done to Weiss.

She lamented it for so long that by the time she was about to fall asleep, she could only think of one thing to do.

 _I've gotta go back next week. To apologize if nothing else_.

* * *

So she did.

That Saturday was warmer than last week's, and Yang had already unintentionally revealed her prosthetic arm to her classmates, so she didn't even bother with the sweatshirt this time around.

Everyone seemed almost surprised to see her back in that little circle of theirs, and she was on time unlike last week.

But interestingly enough, even at 9:05, Weiss hadn't arrived yet.

 _Shit... she didn't quit 'cuz of me, did she...?_

As Glynda began the class by sharing different methods of how they could channel their anger and let it manifest in non-destructive ways, Yang was only listening with one ear.

But only a few minutes later, the doors swung open, and everyone turned to see Weiss stumbling in. Disheveled and breathless, she stayed put for a moment as Glynda quickly approached her.

"Miss Schnee? Is everything all right?"

Weiss looked almost panicked as she dipped her head to the woman.

"I'm sorry. I'm s-so sorry I'm late! I'm sorry!"

Yang was a bit relieved that she hadn't quit because of last week's events. But Weiss looked like she was in bad shape.

Glynda must've thought the same, because she called out for someone from the office and asked them to take care of the girl. Yang watched as they led Weiss out of the room, and Glynda turned back to the rest of them.

"All right. Now where were we?"

Yang sat anxiously through ten more minutes of the class, but Weiss never came back in. She felt some of this was her own fault somehow, therefore she raised her left hand and asked to be excused to the bathroom.

After Glynda nodded, Yang all but shot up from her seat and hurried for the doors where she'd last seen Weiss.

She entered the quiet office outside, where the woman who usually sat behind the desk was gone now, a small sign on her desk indicating she was on lunch break.

Yang scoured the room, and it didn't take too long to find what she was looking for.

Weiss was seated on one of the cushioned chairs in the far corner. She'd made sure to choose the one that was partially concealed behind a bookshelf, trying to make herself as unnoticeable as possible. She was hunched forward with her face in her hands, breathing unevenly. A waste bin nearby was filled a fraction of the way with tissues, and a half-empty bottle of water sat on the floor at her feet.

Yang hesitated. Her instinct as a big sister was telling her to go to the girl.

 _But... am I really someone who can help this...?_

Then again, there was no one else around.

So she made her way over and sat beside the shaken girl, grunting awkwardly to clear her throat.

"Um... hey. You okay?"

Weiss jolted so hard she nearly fell out of her seat. She looked up at Yang with the same wide eyes, and Yang felt a sting in her heart.

She'd done it again. She'd sparked _that_ feeling in someone else.

 _Fear_.

It wasn't as bad as it had been last week when she'd grabbed her, but it was still awful to see.

The fright in Weiss' eyes faded before long into recognition, and then confusion.

"What...?" she croaked. "Aren't you going to... lecture me for being late? After all I said... about punctuality being essential last time?" She hunched forward again and turned herself away.

Yang bit her lip. In her mind, she was already lashing out at the girl:

 _Yeah, actually. Why don't you enlighten me, princess? I couldn't be ten minutes late on our first frickin' day, but here you are showin' up late and now you're cryin' about it? What a little hypocrite..._

Those were her initial, enraged thoughts.

But she tried to take into account a bit of what Glynda had taught her thus far. She didn't act on those first thoughts. She paused, took three deep breaths, and waited for the anger to die down. More rational thoughts soon took place of the harsher ones.

 _God, what happened? Last week she was so confident and stuff, but now... look at her. Guess even rich girls got it hard, huh?_

Now that she was calmer and not letting herself get irked so easily, Yang spoke more softly.

"Well, knowing you, you probably had a good reason for being late to something, right?"

She watched as Weiss tensed up, her expression still hidden in her hands. She'd frozen as though no one had ever given her the benefit of the doubt before. Not only had Yang done that much, but she'd also subtly acknowledged Weiss' previous successes in being punctual.

It was a way of showing her concern, mixed with a bit of praise for Weiss.

Weiss' heart suddenly wasn't pounding so hard anymore. She could feel the panic dying away bit by bit as she slowly turned herself back around to face the blonde girl.

Yang was even more relieved to see that she'd succeeded in not frightening the girl any further. She'd never had a panic attack herself, but she could guess they weren't all that fun.

Bending down, she picked up the bottle of water and offered it to Weiss. Without a word, she accepted and took a small sip, then blew her nose. Yang waited until she'd discarded her tissue and was ready to talk again.

"Thank you..."

"S'all right." Only now did she realize her prosthetic was in plain sight, and she casually draped it over the back of her seat to hide it from view. "Listen... Weiss..."

When she used the girl's name for the first time, Weiss perked up a little bit, giving her full attention. Yang continued.

"I... I wanted to apologize for last week... I'm still new to... all _this_. Channeling your anger and all that stuff. I'm no good at it yet, but I wanna be someday, y'know? That's what I wanna improve on." She scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

"And, uh... I'm sorry if I hurt you or anything. I _really_ didn't mean to. Sometimes it just gets the better of me and I explode and take it out on whatever or whoever's closest."

Weiss remained silent for a moment, processing this information.

Yang watched as the girl straightened her back a bit, her watery blue eyes now clear as she looked her over.

Yang was dying waiting for her to just _say_ something. Part of her expected Weiss to yell at her again, and if that was what ended up happening, Yang would just walk away and leave her be.

But she was glad that didn't happen.

Instead, Weiss spoke to her on a normal level.

"You know... if you're just going to apologize about something, you shouldn't let it happen in the first place."

Yang's jaw dropped, but rather than angry, she felt a little nervous this time.

"I... No, you're right."

" _I'm_ sorry."

"...Huh?"

Weiss dipped her head.

"I'm the one who's sorry, Yang. That's what I'd wanted to tell you last week when you were leaving. I was... quick to judge, and I started it. We both know that. I instigated, and it's hardly your fault for taking the bait. That's sort of how I build up my self-esteem. I lure people into verbal fights because I know I'll always win. But..."

Yang understood then.

"But you're no good when it comes to physical stuff, huh?"

Weiss looked away.

"Right..."

A silence fell over them.

Yang fumbled for something to say, something that wouldn't hurt Weiss or demean herself.

"Then... we'd make a good team."

Her words shocked herself just as much as they seemed to shock Weiss. When the girl gave her a curious look that begged her to elaborate, Yang hurried on.

"I mean... I just meant cuz like, you're good with words and not physical stuff, but I'm the total opposite. In case you couldn't already tell, I suck with words."

To her surprise, and faint delight, Weiss chuckled a little bit.

"I wouldn't say you suck. You just need practice."

Her words weren't stinging or mocking. In fact, they made Yang feel better.

"Yeah..."

Yang tried to offer a smile, and found her heart lifting when Weiss reflected it for her.

But then she noticed Weiss' gaze trailing over her right shoulder and down...

Yang quickly moved her arm behind her back.

"Sorry..."

The white-haired girl was taken aback.

"Why are you apologizing? I should be doing that. I didn't mean to stare."

"Nah, it's okay. I get it. It looks weird, right? I know it bothers some people."

"I never said it bothered me," Weiss snapped. But she didn't do so in a hurtful way. It was merely to make it clear that she was stating a point she believed in. Still, she went on a bit more gently. "I never said it bothered me. You're just making assumptions. I think it's really amazing."

"Amazing?" Yang parroted, doubtful. "I think you're going a bit too far there."

"Not at all."

Her blue eyes were earnest, to Yang's surprise. No one outside of her own family had ever called Yang's arm by a positive adjective unless they were bluffing.

But Weiss seemed to really mean it.

Slowly, Yang moved her arm back to a comfortable position, no longer afraid to show it.

"Then... thanks."

"Don't mention it."

The atmosphere between them had lifted and lightened significantly by now. There wasn't an ounce of anger to be felt anywhere between them.

And considering how adamant they'd been last week about making each other miserable, Yang thought this was a pretty big improvement.

They talked for a little while longer, mostly about more casual things, like where they went to school.

When Weiss suddenly started coughing a little, Yang swiftly bent down to grab her water bottle again and handed it to her. Her right hand instinctively went to Weiss' back and patted lightly.

Weiss took another drink and caught her breath. Then Yang realized she'd touched her without asking, and promptly withdrew her hand.

"You good now?"

"Yes. I'm fine. Thank you, Yang."

She didn't know why it made her smile when Weiss said her name, but it did.

A moment later, Yang glanced at the clock on the wall to discover their session for the day was just about over by now.

 _Wow. Time flies when you're... well, I wouldn't exactly call sitting here talking to her 'fun', but it's not something I hate, I guess._

Weiss noticed the time too and let out a small sigh.

"I've got to be home soon..."

Yang frowned. She knew it was none of her business, but she felt the need to speak up.

"Hey, Weiss?"

The girl flashed her blue gaze at her curiously. Weiss seemed exhausted in just thinking about going back home.

Yang reached out to place her hand over hers by means of support.

"Don't worry... about being late when you come here, yeah? You don't have to worry about being late. Your dad's not gonna know. It's okay."

The look in Weiss' eyes in that instant was something Yang had never seen before. She couldn't explain it properly, but she felt she'd just said something Weiss had been wanting to hear for a long time.

Yang noticed tears welling up behind the girl's eyes, but Weiss turned herself away quickly before they could fall.

"Thank you... Really..."

Yang smiled faintly and squeezed the girl's hand. At the very least, she wanted Weiss to know that there was someone here who supported her.

And Yang felt she could count on Weiss for some support, too.

The doors soon opened up, and their fellow classmates started to walk through the lobby to exit the building. A few of them checked on Weiss and Yang before Glynda came over to speak to them. Yang reassured the woman she was fine, and was glad when Weiss did the same.

But after that, Weiss was getting anxious to leave.

"I've really got to get home. It takes me a while to walk there and I can't be late."

"I get it." Yang put a hand on her shoulder and smiled again. "Then I'll uh... see you next week, right?"

There was a hopeful note in her voice. Weiss must have heard it, because she nodded and smiled back kindly.

"You will."

With that, Weiss hurried out the doors.

Yang followed more slowly, noticing that Weiss headed in the opposite direction.

She felt immensely better walking home today than she had last week.

 _I actually feel... pretty good for once..._

As she made her way home, she made a promise to herself.

Next week, she'd sit next to Weiss.

* * *

 **A/N: Originally, this was just going to be a oneshot, but I've got too many other ideas I want to put in. So expect part 2 fairly soon!**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here we go! Part 2 for this AU, which people seem to be enjoying so far! Happy belated birthday to alexander-the-amazing! I hope you all enjoy part 2 of Anger Management AU!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Part 2.

The next time Saturday rolled around, Yang was awake even before her alarm could pester her.

At first, she almost thought she felt... a little excited. After all, why else would she be up so early on a morning she could've been sleeping in on?

 _Excited?_ _No way. Just anxious, if anything..._

Either way, there was no doubt about it that she was in a fairly good mood today.

In fact, she might've been all week, since she'd last gone to her anger management sessions. She'd had a bit of a connection with Weiss in particular, and somehow, that interaction had served to make her feel better about life in general.

She'd woken up every day this week telling herself it was one day closer to Saturday.

But there was no way she was actually _excited_ to wake up at the crack of dawn just to walk to town and sit in a circle.

Even if she _did_ plan on sitting next to Weiss this morning.

Remembering that tidbit in particular was what motivated her to get out of bed and get dressed. It was another warm day, so she selected black shorts and a yellow and orange tie-dyed shirt. She pulled a brush through her hair once, then brushed her teeth before hurrying downstairs.

Her father and step-mom were there as usual and greeted her.

"Morning, kiddo," Taiyang said as always with a grin. For once, Yang's response wasn't a mumble.

"Mornin'."

His eyes actually widened a little in surprise to hear her voice sounding so normal and unbothered. He took a sip of coffee and looked his daughter over as she sat down across from him. He wanted to say something, but didn't want to risk making a big deal out of this good mood she was in, lest she lose it. So he simply continued reading his newspaper as Summer approached the table.

"Good morning, Yang. Any requests today?"

Yang hesitated. Usually, whenever her step-mother offered her a choice of food, Yang would merely shrug and accept whatever plate she was given.

But today already had a different kind of feeling to it. Yang felt more talkative than usual.

"Do we have any muffins left?" she wondered.

Summer's eyes widened a bit; clearly, she hadn't been expecting a response, either. But as soon as she realized Yang had spoken to her, her smile brightened twice as much.

"Yes, we do! I'll heat one up for you!"

"And a side of eggs?"

"Of course!" Summer hurried to get started on her new task with a bounce in her step. She even started humming a content little tune.

It took Yang a moment to realize that this wasn't just Summer being chipper as usual – she was happy because _Yang_ had spoken to her.

All this time, since Summer had married Taiyang over a decade ago, Yang had always acted rather rueful towards her. She'd always think about how Summer wasn't her real mother, how she was just some woman who'd shown up to replace Raven.

Yang had found she could never hate Summer, though, not when she knew she'd given birth to her little sister. And it was pretty much impossible for _anyone_ – even a moody girl like Yang – to despise a woman who was always so cheerful and ready to help however she could.

Recently, Yang had realized that Summer had never once stopped trying all of these years to get on Yang's good side, to impress her, to prove to her that she could be a good parental figure in her life, even if she'd never be Yang's real mother.

So for Yang to have finally spoken up to Summer this morning, instead of being despondent and uncaring...

It must've made Summer's day.

Yang had to wonder how long the woman had been waiting for a day like this to arrive.

 _And why did it take_ me _so long to understand all this...?_ she wondered. _Why didn't I see it all before? I guess I just didn't care... Hell, if I'd been in her position, I would've given up after the first year of not getting my step-kid to talk. But she_ never _stopped trying even after all this time..._

While she wanted to feel guilty about never realizing Summer's feelings before, Yang couldn't help but feel a little relieved instead. She was honestly just glad she'd noticed any of this _at all,_ and had successfully taken a step in the right direction this morning.

 _Maybe those classes are helping a bit after all..._

By then, Summer had finished preparing her breakfast and placed it in front of her. Yang thanked her softly.

The eggs were cooked to perfection as always, but what impressed her more than anything else was how perfectly her muffin had been prepared. Summer had remembered her favorite kind was blueberry, and she'd also remembered how Yang liked it, just slightly toasted and with a bit of butter coating the top.

The three of them ate their meal in comfortable silence that morning.

None of them could recall the last time something like this had happened. There were no sparks of tension between them, no hesitance to speak. It was rather uplifting for all of them.

And Yang realized it was all her own doing. All it took was a little bit of understanding, and a bit of effort on her part to at least _try_ to make a change.

She could thank her sessions with Glynda for this new mindset.

Once she'd finished eating, Yang brought her dishes to the sink and checked the clock.

"I'm gonna go now."

The adults were quick to respond.

"See ya, kiddo."

"Have a good time!"

Yang gave a small nod, and lifted her left hand in an even smaller wave. The joy she saw in Summer's eyes caused a prickle of warmth to run through her chest. Swiftly, she turned away and headed out the door.

Outside, the air was a bit humid, and the sky was partially covered in clouds. But overall, the sun was bright and inviting, and bushes and flowers had blossomed all around in the last few days.

Yang headed off on her usual path towards town, her hands buried in her shorts pockets. She still felt incredibly self-conscious about her right arm. That hadn't changed in two years, and it probably never _would_ change.

But even despite her slight embarrassment that was constantly present due to her prosthetic, she was feeling rather good today. She just kept thinking about how happy she'd made both Summer and her father this morning, simply by smiling and talking to them a little.

She hurried to her building, and upon entering the lobby, greeted the secretary and glanced at the clock. It was still a few minutes before nine.

Yang signed herself in, and this time she actually looked at the other names on the attendance sheet. Not surprisingly, the very first slot was occupied by the fancy cursive name of _Weiss Schnee_.

Yang's already-existing excitement was fueled a little more when she saw that Weiss was here again today.

 _Of course she is. She's Weiss. Maybe she'll be late, but she'd never_ miss _a class even if she were sick._

And the fact that she was already here before nine meant there was no risk of last week's events repeating themselves.

After scribbling her name down, Yang shoved her right hand back into her pocket, then pushed through the doors to the gym.

She was surprised to see several pieces of equipment had been set up, as well as a small folding table. Various items had been placed on top of that, such as a stack of notebooks, and a covered plastic container.

Yang was puzzled, but figured she'd find out what everything was for later on.

For now, she headed to the circle of seats where several people had already gathered. Glynda stood up to greet her.

"Good morning, Yang. Don't worry, we'll explain what all of that is later."

"Good, 'cuz I'm dying to know."

In the previous weeks, Yang had made sure to sit as far away from Weiss as possible.

And now, she was walking straight towards her.

Weiss was wearing another sundress, a pink one this time, her arms crossed over her chest. She peered up at Yang as she approached.

"Good morning," Weiss began, almost unexpectedly. "What brings you to _this_ side of the circle?" She didn't say it in a mean way, as Yang might've expected her to a few weeks ago. But rather, Weiss sounded genuinely curious now.

Yang shrugged a bit and glanced away.

"Is this seat taken? The lights are kinda bright if you sit over there. I can't stand it."

She flashed her gaze back to Weiss, and was relieved to see a tiny upward curl on her lips.

"Well then, you'd better sit down."

The joke was so lame and so unexpected - especially coming from the refined Weiss - that Yang burst out laughing right there for everyone to see. While Weiss was a little taken aback by her reaction, Yang wiped her forearm over her eyes and sat down beside her.

"Oh god," she chuckled. "I haven't laughed like that in years."

Weiss was almost feeling a little smug now at the accomplishment.

"Oh, come now. It wasn't _that_ good."

"No, it wasn't."

Weiss scowled at her, and Yang laughed again.

It was true, though. Since Ruby had up and left to attend her faraway college one town over, there'd been no one at home to make Yang laugh. She had no one to laugh with, at, or around, because she'd still been so distant with Summer, who was always with her father.

So this was truly the first time in years she could remember _actually_ laughing more than just a bitter chuckle.

It felt good.

As the other students meandered in, Glynda eventually declared class would begin.

"Today," she said. "We will be looking at some ways to channel your anger physically. Which is why we've set all of these strange things up here. Everyone please stand up and follow me."

Yang was a little disappointed that the one day she'd decided to sit beside Weiss was the day they weren't really going to be sitting at all.

But as the group followed Glynda over to the various items that had been set up, Yang noticed Weiss was trailing right beside her.

First, Glynda explained the usage of the dummies and punching bags that had been set up.

"This equipment is property of our clinic. They are designed to be hit and are a great way to release some stress in a physical manner. Should you ever feel the need to channel your anger, you may stop by this building any time to use them. We are open 24/7 to anyone who attends these sessions.

"So for our first exercise today, I'd like you all to use these as much as you'd need to. Think of all the things that have made you angry or upset within the last week or month or year. Take it all out on our dummies. They won't mind."

There were only enough dummies and punching bags for half the class, so two people went to each one. Yang was glad to find Weiss at her side in front of one of the punching bags. Weiss was giving it a peculiar look.

"How in the _world_ are you supposed to move this thing?"

Yang rolled her neck until it cracked, then pulled both hands out of her pockets.

"You don't really have to make it move. It's just about _hitting_ it."

She pulled back her right arm, her eagerness to strike the bag more prominent than her embarrassment about her prosthetic. With a short, enthused shout, she threw a powerful punch.

A dull thud echoed around the gym as her fist connected and the bag swung forward from the blow.

Weiss' eyes went wide at the sheer brute force Yang possessed. She hardly noticed that the heavy bag was swinging back into place and coming right at her.

Yang quickly reached out to wrap an arm around her shoulders and pull her back a pace to avoid getting hit.

"Whoa! You okay?"

Weiss shook herself off, but wasn't too quick to shake _Yang_ off.

"I'm fine. Would you mind showing me how to hit this thing? I've got a few punches I'd like to throw, myself."

Yang gladly helped her with her punches, teaching her how to make a fist and how to extend her arm without hurting herself.

Weiss was a little awkward, which was understandable, considering how she'd told Yang she'd always been better with words than with actions.

Yang grabbed the bag to steady it and held it in place for Weiss.

"All right, now hit it! Just hit it with everything you've got!"

Weiss growled, clenching her left hand tightly. She let out a short little "Hya!" and threw her punch. The bag gave a small sway, and barely moved.

Yang swallowed her amused laugh.

"Good one! Now lemme show ya how it's _really_ done."

She guided Weiss back a bit until she was out of range, then took up her stance again. Yang smirked, gritting her teeth just a bit as she imagined the rage she'd felt after the accident, finding out she'd lost her arm forever-

"Haaaaa!"

She charged forward and slammed her left fist into the bag. It shuddered and spun a few times, an indent left behind by her knuckles.

Yang had to admit it really did feel good to release some of her festering negative energy this way. She'd always felt the need to physically _hit_ something before, and had resorted to the wall in her room, and then random trees, lamp posts, and hydrants outside.

But at the very least, the cushioned punching back didn't hurt her as much as those other things had.

Yang stepped aside to let Weiss take her next turn. She could see now that the white-haired girl's eyes were glazed over a bit, her mind likely bringing her back to some past experience she'd like to forget.

Both of her hands were balled into fists now, her knuckles bone white. Weiss must've been pulled back into that moment she was imagining, reliving it now, because she cried out at no one in particular:

" _Shut up!_ "

She threw another punch, and this one was much more powerful than the first.

Yang was surprised the bag went flying back so far, she needed to dodge quickly to avoid being hit. Briefly, she had to wonder what situation had happened in the past that had made Weiss this desperate and angry. She'd probably been wanting to shout those two words the entire time, but had bottled them up and kept her mouth shut.

But she didn't have much time to think about it, because the punching bag was swinging back into place again. Clearly, Weiss hadn't expected that she'd hit it so hard either, because she didn't move to avoid it.

"Hey, watch out!"

Yang tried to reach for her again to pull her out of its path, but she was too late. The punching bag knocked into Weiss' petite form, bowling her to the ground as a tiny "oof-!" flew from her lungs.

The other students and Glynda all paused in their exercise to peer over at Weiss with concern. Yang dropped to her knees beside the sputtering girl and helped her sit up.

"Weiss! Are you okay?"

Part of her expected to be swatted away and to hear, "I'm fine, I'm fine! Get off me, you big oaf!" And she wasn't quite sure what the other part of her had been expecting-

-but it sure as hell wasn't what she got.

Weiss started to laugh.

Yang had never heard this sound before – clearly, no one here had. Maybe no one in the entire _world_ had ever heard this sound before.

Yang was baffled for a moment. She had no idea how to react to this.

But then, she remembered how _good_ it had felt when she herself had laughed earlier. Weiss probably needed that feeling just as badly as Yang had.

So Yang let her have it for as long as she needed it.

She stayed put at her side, crouched there on the floor with her arm around Weiss to support her. Glynda flashed her a curious glance, but Yang smiled to reassure her they were fine.

After a moment, Weiss' laughter faded away, though Yang felt she might've liked to keep listening for a while longer.

"Hey," she said softly, patting Weiss' back. "You okay? You didn't hit your head or anything, did'ja?"

Weiss was panting slightly now, likely a combination from being winded by the blow and from all the consequent laughter. But she was still smiling.

She shook her head and opened her eyes to meet Yang's.

"No... I'm fine..."

Yang let out a little sigh of relief.

"All right, that's good. Catch your breath, 'kay?"

After another minute or so, Yang helped her to her feet. Weiss thanked her and smoothed out her dress.

"I really needed that," she commented. "It felt good."

Yang wasn't sure if she'd been talking about hitting the bag, or laughing. Possibly both.

Either way, she could agree.

Just then, Glynda called for the class to leave the equipment behind for now.

"You're all welcome to use it again at the end of class," she offered. "We'll be keeping it set up from now on so any one of you can come into the building at any time to use them, so long as you sign in. But for now, I'd like you to join me here at this table."

The students willingly followed their instructor without question, most of them grinning now after getting to use the equipment and getting rid of some bad energy.

Yang had noticed this change as well.

In the first few classes, everyone had been so tense and unwilling to open up to one another or their instructor. Now, they were all smiling and chatting, and they all obviously respected Glynda's authority.

They gathered around the fold-up table as Glynda began her next lesson.

"Now, I understand that most of you don't have punching bags in your homes, and you might not always be able to make it here to use ours. So I want to show you all a few other physical but non-destructive ways to channel your anger. These methods are harmless, painless, and inexpensive."

She opened one of the covered containers to reveal several dozen empty egg shells.

"Now, before you ask, let me explain," Glynda said. "Soft or hard-boiled egg shells are one of the best ways to channel your anger, if you ask me. After you've eaten them, you can take the shells and just break them.

"It always feels good to break something else to make ourselves feel better and more powerful, right? Well, this is one thing you can break easily and legally, and can obtain with little effort. It won't cause anyone pain, either."

She let them each take an egg shell, then asked them to think of the most recent wrongdoing done unto them. At the peak of their anger, they crushed the empty shells.

Yang used her flesh hand so she could feel the shell splitting apart. It really did feel good to destroy something when she was angry, but this was a _much_ better alternative to hitting a person or wall. There was no guilt in this method, either.

Her mind took her back to the first session when she'd grabbed Weiss and frightened her. When she remembered that incident, Yang grit her teeth and squeezed her egg again, cracking the broken pieces into even smaller ones.

This method was much more likable for Weiss than the punching bags were, though she did mutter about getting her hands a little dirty.

Once they'd all thrown their broken egg shells away, Glynda demonstrated a similar tactic of channeling their anger onto another inanimate object that was easy to obtain and destroy.

"Notebooks," she said, indicating the pile on the table. "Firstly, it can feel very good to simply write down whatever negative things you're feeling. Don't keep them inside. Get them out by putting them onto paper. Write anything, no matter how awful you might think it is. And then..."

She opened one of the notebooks and then tore out the first page.

"You rip out that page. Just doing that feels pretty good. Like with the egg, you get to destroy something in an acceptable and painless way. But this makes a much more satisfying sound, if you ask me."

Everyone chuckled a bit, and listened as she went on.

"Now, once you've ripped out that page, just shred it. With your own two hands, rip it to pieces. It's a great way, again, to break something. But this also works nicely because you're destroying all those negative words and feelings you wrote down. You're getting rid of those feelings by writing them down, then shredding them. It's win-win."

She started handing out the notebooks and some pens, then encouraged them all to write a page. Some people sat in their chairs while others sat on the floor and began writing.

Yang laid on her stomach on the floor and wrote about the car accident, losing her arm, losing her mom, losing Blake and Ruby. She wrote curse words and all kinds of things, sometimes scribbling vigorously in no particular pattern.

Weiss sat nearby with her legs curled beneath her, leaning the notebook on her lap to write. Yang was tempted to peek and what she'd written, but stopped herself from invading the girl's privacy.

Once they were finished, they tore the pages out, listening to the satisfying sound of ripping paper.

Then, they started shredding them, crumpling and tearing the pages, destroying their negative thoughts along with them. Some people used their teeth.

Once Yang had finished tearing her first page apart, she caught Weiss' eye.

"C'mere for a sec."

Curiously, Weiss slid over to sit beside her.

Yang started a new page, and wrote down all the awful things she'd ever thought about Weiss.

Weiss watched her, feeling a little irked when she saw the words like _"prissy"_ and _"bitch"._ But she stayed quite, wondering what the blonde had in store.

Yang took up half the page with her comments, then passed the notebook to Weiss.

She understood.

Weiss began writing down all the bad things she'd ever thought about Yang, which included _"impulsive brute"_ and _"clumsy oaf."_ Yang wasn't all that surprised by those.

But the one that hurt most was when Weiss wrote three particular words:

 _"She scared me."_

Yang's heart sank, and her shoulders slouched a bit. Weiss noticed and nudged her softly.

"Hey. That's in past tense."

Weiss gave her a smile then, something soft and private, just between the two of them, her blue eyes kind. Yang wiped her own eyes and smiled back.

Once they'd both finished writing things down, Yang tore out the page and held onto one side. Weiss took the other side.

Together, they pulled it apart, shredding all of the negative thoughts they'd ever harbored towards one another.

That was the best either of them had felt in months.

After a few more minutes, Glynda asked them all to stand up. Yang pushed herself to her feet, then offered her hand to help Weiss, who nodded appreciatively and accepted her hand.

"You're welcome to take those notebooks home with you. And our janitors will clean up the mess on the floor here. But you'll have to do that yourselves at home."

Another chuckle swept through the teens.

"Now, believe it or not, our session for today is already over. I hope you can all take something away from this, and remember we are open 24/7 should you feel the need to use our equipment. Before you leave, please see me to take one last item."

As everyone filed into a line, Yang tucked her notebook under her arm, watching Weiss do the same.

"I feel great," the blonde admitted. "I kinda wish I'd thought of this stuff earlier. I'm gonna have to try it out more when I get home."

"I think I will, as well," Weiss agreed.

She then fell a little quiet, as if she were thinking something over. While Yang was debating whether or not she should ask, Weiss came to a decision.

"I'll be right back!"

With that said, she hurried off back to the circle of chairs they hadn't used today. Weiss picked up a small handbag that she'd draped over hers and brought it back with her as she took her place on line next to Yang again. The girl unzipped her bag, and pulled out a cell phone. Weiss cast her a quick, almost shy glance.

"Do you... have one?"

"...Huh?"

"A cell phone, I mean. If you'd like, could we... exchange numbers? I-I feel maybe sometimes it might be nice if we could talk to someone else, if we feel upset. What do you think?"

Yang was flabbergasted. Had Weiss really just asked for her number?

While she knew it was for reasons very different from why other teenagers and young adults typically asked each other their numbers for, Yang was just as dumbfounded.

"Uhh, yeah. Sure. I don't have it on me right now, but I can tell you my number."

Weiss tapped on her screen a few times, then nodded.

"Then... please do."

So Yang told her, watching as Weiss typed it in, then asked her to confirm.

"Yup," she nodded. "That's it."

"Thank you, Yang. This... means a lot to me. I'll try not to call you if I don't have to. I know you've got your own problems to deal with."

Yang softened her voice a bit.

"No, hey, it's okay. Call me whenever you need to, okay? I don't know if I can do much to help, but I can at least listen."

Weiss couldn't hold her gaze for long. She was a little overwhelmed right now.

"Thank you. And... you can call me too, should you ever need to."

"All right. Thanks, Weiss."

A comfortable silence fell between them now.

Weiss couldn't believe she'd successfully asked Yang for this, and that the taller girl hadn't refused or laughed in her face. And Yang couldn't believe Weiss trusted her enough to ask something like this of her.

The blonde shuffled up a step as the line in front of them moved. She cleared her throat, and kept her voice low for Weiss alone.

"So... you don't think I'm scary anymore?"

Weiss didn't hesitate to shake her head.

"Of course not."

They were still four people away from Glynda when Weiss checked her phone again. Yang heard her gasp softly. When she glanced at the clock on the far wall, Yang realized it was already ten minutes past the end of class. Weiss was starting to breathe quickly.

"Hey, hey..." Yang wrapped her right arm around her shoulders gently. "Easy. You've got time. I promise. Here, cut in front of me, 'kay?" She coaxed Weiss to slip ahead of her in line. Weiss nodded, but couldn't voice her thanks. Yang reassured her softly. "It's okay. Just take a deep breath. It's almost your turn."

Only a minute later, Weiss stood before Glynda, who had been handing out rubber stress balls. She explained how they could help in any situation and encouraged her students to use them whenever necessary.

Weiss had to thank her instructor quickly before running to the doors.

Yang felt bad in knowing Weiss was probably already squeezing the life out of the little blue ball.

Yang accepted her own purple ball from Glynda, thanked her for the session, and the hurried to the doors.

But by the time she'd passed through the lobby and made it outside, Weiss was already gone.

* * *

Throughout the next week, Yang utilized all three of the new techniques Glynda had given them.

She spoke to Summer the next morning, asking her to save the egg shells she used to make breakfast. Yang explained how she could use them in a helpful manner to channel her anger.

Summer was enthralled that Yang had opted to speak to her and make this request, and even more enthusiastic that Yang was now talking to her much more often. Summer instantly agreed, and even put out a little bowl on the counter.

"From now on," she told her. "Whenever I use eggs, I'll leave the shells in here. If you ever need to use them, they'll always be there."

It was a constant supply for Yang. She could walk through the kitchen when she felt a little irked and simply pick up one of the egg shells and crush it. If she was feeling particularly pissed, she'd take two or three at a time.

She made it a habit to write in her notebook throughout the day, marking down whatever had made her angry. Then, every night, she'd tear out the page and shred it.

She brought that notebook and her stress ball to class with her on the few days a week she went to her college.

Taiyang drove her, since it was too far for her to walk, and he noticed his daughter was becoming a bit more talkative. She'd tell him about her day, then ask about his, whereas normally, she'd just sit in silence.

Both he and Summer happily accepted the change in Yang's behavior.

On Thursday that week, Ruby called, and Yang answered for once. They chatted for a while about all different kinds of things, and Yang kept her cool. Even when Ruby handed the phone to Blake, she didn't let her past insecurities get to her.

Though Yang felt there was still a bit of tension between her old best friend and herself when they talked, she didn't dwell on the negative feelings. She ended the call that night feeling pretty good about her attitude.

Every day, Yang would check her phone periodically, in case Weiss called her as well. She didn't, but Yang felt that was a good thing, because she assumed Weiss would only call her if something was wrong.

Yang decided she'd do the same.

But this week had been fairly good to her, so she didn't call Weiss.

She did, however, get into the habit of sending her little text messages here and there, especially if she was feeling anxious about something.

Weiss would always respond right away and try to talk her down.

It was a mutually beneficial relationship.

In this manner, the week passed by, until Saturday had arrived yet again.

Yang jumped out of bed and got dressed quickly, then picked up a small handbag she now carried her notebook and stress ball around in. The trash bin in her room was filled with tiny shredded fragments of her anger, and her mind felt clearer and clearer by the day.

She headed down for breakfast, smiling to both Summer and her father as she ate. She'd told them about Weiss before briefly, so they knew how excited she was to go see her again today.

"You know," Summer said kindly. "If you're friends with her, you don't have to wait until Saturday to see her. Maybe try to meet up with her some other time, too."

Yang hadn't even pondered that option until now. For whatever reason, she'd only ever thought of seeing Weiss at the clinic on Saturdays at 9AM.

But her step-mother was right; so long as they were both free, they could see each other on any day of the week.

Yang was intent ask Weiss the next chance she got.

She finished eating, and didn't even need to take an egg from the bowl today. But before she could strut out the door, her father called after her.

"Take an umbrella. It's supposed to rain later."

"Oh, thanks, Dad."

Yang grabbed a hooded sweatshirt and tied it around her waist, then took her handbag and an umbrella with her.

The morning was a little grey, but it didn't depress her for once.

. . .

The class went smoothly.

Glynda had them all report on any changes they'd made thus far, now that they were a month into the sessions.

As Yang listened to the others talk of their successes, she couldn't help but notice how Weiss' posture had changed. Instead of crossing her arms over her chest in a defensive manner, the white-haired girl now sat with her back straight and her hands folded neatly in her lap.

Weiss' confidence was contagious, and it made Yang straighten up to.

When it was her turn to speak, Yang told everyone how she'd write in her notebook every day, and about the bowl of eggs shells Summer left for her.

"I've had a great week," she concluded. "I'd like to thank Instructor Goodwitch for that."

The others all agreed and gave the woman a round of applause.

"Please," she said politely. " _You_ all are deserving of the credit here. You've made leaps and bounds in only one month. I hope to see your improvements continue. Now then, Miss Schnee? Is there anything you'd like to share?"

"There is," she said. "I've also been writing frequently in my notebook. But I feel the thing that helps me the most is communicating with my friends. It's nothing more than a few messages a day, but it's truly helping me get by."

It took Yang a moment and an direct, appreciative glance from Weiss to make her realize she was talking about _her_.

Yang felt her cheeks get warm, and her heart started to soar. She reflected Weiss' smile and slung her right arm around her playfully. Weiss happily slid her chair a little closer.

Their session soon finished for the day, and Glynda bid them all a good week.

Weiss quietly beckoned Yang to stay behind for a minute while the others exited the gym.

"What's up?" the blonde girl asked. "Everything okay?"

Weiss shrugged.

"As okay as it always is. I'd just... wanted to say thank you again, Yang. And I wanted to _tell_ you rather than just text it to you."

"Don't mention it. I don't really do much..."

"But you do! More than you realize."

To Yang's surprise, Weiss' voice wavered a little. When she next blinked, a tear fell down her cheek.

Dismay twisted in Yang's gut.

"Hey, hey! What's the matter?" Yang didn't think, her body just reacted automatically. She reached out and pulled Weiss into a soft embrace. "Hey... Weiss, what's wrong? If something happened this week you... you should've called me..."

Weiss whimpered, her small hands clutching Yang's shirt.

"No... it's okay..." she mumbled. "I'm just... so glad I could... have someone be there for me for once... My sister's always busy with work, so I... just _knowing_ I always had the option of talking to you made me feel better. Thank you, Yang..."

Her voice tapered off, and she wept softly into Yang's chest.

Yang almost felt guilty again. It was evident that Weiss had had a rough week, while Yang had had one of her best. It didn't seem fair.

Yang tightened her hold on Weiss a little bit, tucking her beneath her chin as if to shield her from the bad thoughts.

"Weiss... you should've called me. That's why you asked for my number in the first place, right? So use it. I don't mind. Honest."

It pained her to see Weiss like this. Which was a little shocking to Yang, considering how a month ago, they'd all but hated each other.

But they'd been through a lot together already, and had overcome many hardships, most of them personal.

Now, Yang just wanted to help her feel better, help her heal.

She felt Weiss' shaking grip tighten.

"I... I will... I will, Yang... thank you..."

"All right." Yang pet through her hair gently, instinctively doing whatever she could to calm Weiss down. "Easy. Just breathe." She was always cautious with touching her, because she wasn't sure if there was a level of physical contact Weiss wasn't comfortable with.

But Weiss never seemed to mind when it was Yang.

Yang wished she could've stayed there with her until Weiss felt better.

But time wasn't on their side. If Weiss was late getting home, she'd get in trouble.

Keeping one arm around the girl, Yang gathered their bags and her umbrella, then guided Weiss to the doors.

And of course, it was pouring outside.

"Shit..."

No way was she letting Weiss walk home alone in this weather when all she had to wear was a sundress. And she _definitely_ wasn't going to have her catch a cab when she was in this rather vulnerable condition.

Conviction coursed through Yang as she came to the only logical decision.

She untied the sweatshirt from around her waist and draped it over Weiss' bare, shivering shoulders. She opened the umbrella and held it over the girl's head with her right hand, while keeping her left around Weiss' shoulders.

"Come on."

Slowly, Yang led her down the steps of the building and to the sidewalk. Weiss was still crying softly against her shirt, but she now realized what was happening.

"Yang...? What are you-"

"What's it look like? I'm walking you home. Just lead me in the right direction, okay?"

Weiss nodded, and said nothing more.

They walked together in silence, with only the hissing of the rain falling all around them.

Occasionally, a passing car would roll by. Yang made sure to keep Weiss on the building side so she wouldn't get splashed by any puddles.

Somewhere along the lines, Weiss stopped crying, but she never stopped holding onto Yang.

At last, they arrived at a large mansion that was undoubtedly their destination. Yang paused outside the lavish open gates.

"You've still got a few minutes to spare," she assured her.

Weiss hugged her a little tighter.

"Thank you..."

Yang hugged her close with her left arm, still holding the umbrella to shield them both.

"Hey, anytime, Weiss. Gimme a call sometime, okay? Not only if something happens and you wanna talk it out, but... maybe also if you wanna... like, walk around town or go to the park or something. I wouldn't mind."

Weiss looked up at her wide-eyed.

"Really? You'd... you'd want to... with me?"

"Sure! But only if _you'd_ want to."

"I... I would..." Weiss stammered. "Then... I'll call you sometime this week."

"Sounds great," Yang smiled.

Weiss finally stepped away from her and began unzipping the sweatshirt Yang had given her. But Yang put her hand over Weiss' to stop her.

"Keep it," she said. "I've got a million of 'em. Maybe it'll help you feel better if you need it."

Weiss felt her heart beat a little faster.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." Yang gave her a grin as she reached out and pulled the hood up for Weiss. "Now get inside before you catch a cold, yeah? I'll wait for your call."

Weiss hesitated. Even though time was of the essence and was _always_ working against her, she hesitated.

Yang knew that was a _big_ deal for her.

She was about to prompt her again when Weiss stepped near to her once more. She leaned up, getting closer than ever before, and she-

-she kissed her, cheek.

It was so soft, so timid.

Yang didn't know what to make of it at first.

She thought it was a dream, a hallucination. She even felt a little lightheaded.

It didn't feel real for a moment.

Until she heard Weiss' terrified gasp.

"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't-!" Flustered with her actions, she took a step back.

But Yang didn't let her get any more upset than that. She pulled Weiss back in and returned the kiss to her cheek warmly.

That quieted Weiss and quelled her fears.

Weiss sighed in the utmost relief and hugged her again.

Yang had always thought she wouldn't be one for romance.

But she wasn't going to deny herself – and Weiss – that happiness when it was quite literally staring them in the face.

The rain continued pattering around them, puddles splashing.

Yang wanted to keep holding her close.

But it was time for Weiss to go.

They parted, their gazes now shimmering with something they'd never felt before. Weiss dipped her head, then hurried off to the front doors, still bundled in Yang's sweatshirt.

Yang watched her go, until the door had closed behind her.

She ran home, fueled by adrenaline and excitement and a million other things she couldn't even think to name. She ran as quickly as she could through the rain, closing her umbrella and folding it to carry at her side so she could run all the faster.

Weiss had kissed her, and she'd kissed Weiss back.

She didn't feel like it was actually happening.

But it _was_.

They'd only known each other for a month, but they were both sure they felt the same way.

And Yang had gotten an idea.

She ran and ran through the rain, feeling liberated and joyful, a combination she'd never felt before in all her life.

When she saw her house, she hurried in through the front door and closed it behind her. Summer and Taiyang were in the living room, and both of them were startled by her sudden entry.

But before Summer could run off to fetch her a towel, Yang spoke up with a smile on her face and a sparkle in her eyes.

"Dad!" she gasped. "Help me practice driving again!"

* * *

 **A/N: Surprise! I'd thought this would only be 2 parts tops, but as fate would have it, I got more ideas so now it's going to be 3 parts and an epilogue! So stay tuned for more!**

 **Also, I'd just like to point out that I've never been to an anger management/therapy session before. I don't know what they're like or what they involve. The things I'm writing here (like the punching bags, egg shells, and notebooks) are all totally made up from my own mind. So please don't be mad if it's not accurate, ahah.**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm so happy this fic got some attention! Not a lot, but certainly more than I'd expected! I hope you all enjoy this final part! I'd like to thank beacontacticsmod and ****antonslavik020** **for their support. And again, thanks to alexander-the-amazing for commissioning me!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Part 3.

Ever since the horrible accident two years earlier that had cost Yang her right arm, she'd been avoiding cars in whatever ways possible.

She hardly even cared to look at them, let alone walk near them or touch them. She hadn't gotten inside of one voluntarily in many months for reasons other than being driven to her college classes by her father.

The last time she could remember getting into a car for any other reason had been last year when her family had gone to attend a cousin's birthday party. Yang had been anxious and panicked for the entire ride there, and she hadn't eaten anything while at their cousin's house for fear she might throw up on the car ride home.

Taiyang and Summer knew of and understood her phobia of cars.

Hence their total disbelief when she had come home that Saturday, drenched from the rain and begging to re-learn her driving skills.

They'd been very curious and a little excited as to where this sudden outburst of a request had come from. Yang didn't want to lie to them, but she didn't exactly want to tell them the whole truth, either.

"Um... well I just kinda... met someone... she lives kinda far..."

That had been all her parents needed to hear. Both of them were enthralled to hear the news that Yang had made a friend, especially in the classes she'd been avidly dreading attending just one month earlier.

As Summer had dried Yang off a bit, Taiyang had spoke with her for a while, checking to make sure she was really all right with getting behind the wheel again. Yang reassured him.

"Yeah. I really want to, Dad. I do."

And so, they'd started that week.

After Yang had finished her college classes for the morning, Taiyang drove her to the local park, where there was a wide expanse of concrete parking lot that was vacant. There, they practiced the old routines, just as they'd done when Yang had first been practicing how to drive years ago.

Even now, it felt odd for her to sit in a car for so long, but what was even stranger was when they switched seats. As Taiyang got into the passenger side and Yang took the driver's side, she felt her stomach flip and twist.

But then she reminded herself why she was doing this. That thought steeled both her mind and her heart.

Gripping the wheel felt a little weird, because the nerves in her flesh arm felt it very differently than her prosthetic did.

But as she gently put her foot on the gas for the first time in over two years, Yang discovered that relearning how to drive was almost like relearning how to ride a bike.

It all came back to her very quickly, how to turn the wheel, how to shift gears, how to break and accelerate. Taiyang kept offering little hints and calm reminders as she got used to it all again. He also reminded her of what a great driver she'd been in the past, even when she'd first been starting out.

They practiced in the parking lot for a little while that day before switching seats once again.

Once they arrived home, Yang wrote in her notebook about her fears of driving, and any uncertainties she'd harbored or negative thoughts that had popped up when she'd gotten behind the wheel.

That night, she shredded the page, just like always.

For the rest of the week, that was what she and her father did. Whenever they both had some free time from work and school, they'd let Yang get used to driving once again.

Halfway through the week, Yang expressed confidence that she could start driving on the road again. Once Taiyang was certain she could handle it, he let her.

Yang drove as well as she always had, if not better. She'd turn on her favorite music stations to ease her mind off the stresses associated with driving.

Sometimes, when she came to a stoplight and needed to pause for a moment, the old memories resurfaced, since the accident had happened when a driver had run a red light.

But instead of that, Yang tried to think about other things.

Like that little kiss Weiss had giving her in the rain last Saturday.

She made a habit of associating driving with good things, mainly Weiss. Because ultimately, Weiss was the reason Yang had wanted to start driving again.

All throughout the week, she practiced and got comfortable behind the wheel again, until Friday night rolled around. At dinner, she made her request to Summer and Taiyang.

"Do you guys think... I could drive to my class tomorrow morning? There's someone I met and she's always on a tight schedule. I was thinkin' I could help her out a bit and drive her home."

They were hardly surprised to discover the entire reason Yang had wanted to relearn driving was for someone else's sake. She'd constantly talk about this girl she'd met at her sessions, even if Yang herself didn't fully realize it.

Therefore, her parents looked to one another and came to a unanimous decision.

"If you think you'd be comfortable," Taiyang said. "I don't see why not."

Yang perked up, until she was almost shining.

"Really? You mean it?"

"I do," he nodded. "But, if you decide tomorrow morning that you're not feeling up for it, then don't force yourself, kiddo."

"I won't, Dad. I promise."

She'd become much more talkative and social at mealtimes nowadays, but that night she was positively giddy.

She only had half a page of negative thoughts written down in her notebook that evening, and decided not to rip it out until she'd filled it up.

She went to bed that night, more eager for tomorrow than she'd ever been before.

* * *

And when it came, she was jumping out of bed within seconds.

She pulled on a pair of shorts and a tank top to combat the late-spring heat, then hurried down the stairs for breakfast. She ate quickly, but not enough to upset her stomach, which oddly enough, wasn't feeling so twisted this morning.

Not in a bad way, at least. It was more from butterflies and excitement than anything else.

As she put her plate in the sink, Yang grabbed an egg shell from the bowl on the counter and crushed it to channel her jumpiness. After tossing it away, she slipped into her boots and headed for the door.

"Remember!" her father called after her. "Just take it slow. You'll get there really early now since you'll be driving instead of walking."

"And also," Summer added. "If you feel you need to, you can pull over at any time. Call us if you have to."

"Yeah, I will. Thanks, guys."

With those words of reassurance for her nervous parents, Yang stepped out the door and into the day, twirling the car keys on her finger.

This wouldn't be her first time driving since the accident, but it _would_ be her first time driving alone. Her purple stress ball was in her handbag along with her notebook. As she sat behind the wheel, she took out the ball and squeezed it a few times, then started the car. She turned the radio on to her favorite station and let the music relax her.

From there, it was simply a matter of taking some deep breaths and putting her foot on the pedal. She went slowly, as her parents had advised, following the road she'd used to walk alongside.

If someone honked their horn at her for going too slowly in the past, she might've thrown a fit and started raging and cursing at them. But when it happened to her that morning, she simply pulled over, parked for a moment, and wrote down her emotions in her notebook.

Once she'd cooled off, she went back to driving again.

She made it to her building within minutes, pulling in around the side to find a spot. Once she'd turned off the car and hopped out, an empowering sense of accomplishment lifted her spirits high. She texted Taiyang to let him know she'd made it, and he sent her a thumbs-up emoji.

She went inside and signed herself in, surprising Glynda with how early she was.

"You've even bested Miss Schnee!"

Yang chuckled softly as she took her seat.

Weiss was only a few minutes later in arriving, but as soon as she saw Yang there already, she froze in place.

"Yang!"

"Surprise!"

The blonde turned to look over her shoulder and grinned.

Weiss was wearing a dress as she often did, and Yang also noticed a plastic bag on her arm other than the handbag she usually carried.

Glynda excused herself to the office for a moment, leaving the two of them alone.

Weiss was still standing stiffly halfway to the circle of chairs, unsure of what to say. Yang stood slowly and walked over to her, stopping a foot or so away.

"So, uh... how was your week? You didn't call me so I'm guessing it wasn't too bad, right?"

Weiss clutched the bags in her hands a little tighter.

"I was... awfully distracted," she mumbled. "Because of you..."

It took a moment, but Yang soon blushed.

"Oh... ahaha, yeah. Same here."

Their eyes met, timidly at first.

Weiss stepped in and leaned up to kiss Yang's cheek.

Yang's heart leapt for joy as the kiss reminded her all that had transpired last week hadn't been just a dream. She slipped her arm around the small of Weiss' back and softly kissed her cheek in return.

Together, they headed to the chairs and sat down, moving their seats as close together as possible. Yang draped her right arm around Weiss' chair, subtly enough to look casual, but intimate enough to lightly touch her hair or shoulders on occasion.

They chatted privately for a few minutes, about the events of their week, though Yang was sure to leave out news of her driving practice.

Instead, she listened to Weiss talk about how her father had gotten to yelling at her as per usual, but Weiss hadn't said a word back to him, which had confused him and caused him to back off.

Yang praised her and kissed her cheek.

As it neared 9AM, the room began to fill up. Everyone seemed to be arriving earlier than they had in the past, likely because they were all enjoying these classes to a great degree now.

The session passed by rather quickly as everyone discussed their successes for the week, and Glynda gave her brief lecture on new things they could consider trying out to help themselves.

The session was soon over, and before long, Yang and Weiss found themselves alone in the gym once more. Weiss was hurriedly picking up her two bags, then seemed to remember the plastic one.

"Oh! I'd almost forgotten. Here." She pulled out a familiar folded-up sweatshirt and offered it to her. "Thank you again for letting me borrow it."

Yang blinked.

"Huh? No, no, I said you could keep it, remember?"

"Right. I kept it, washed it, and now I'm returning it to you."

"No, see, that's not what I meant. I didn't mean you could only keep it for a _week_. You can keep it forever, Weiss. Or... at least as long as you want to."

The white-haired girl seemed truthfully dumbstruck by those words. She was silent for a long moment, still holding onto the sweatshirt. At last, she found her voice again.

"You... you really mean that...?"

Yang smiled, bending down to kiss her atop the head.

"Yeah. 'Course I do."

Weiss' lips parted, as though she wanted to say something, but couldn't find the words. It made Yang wonder when the last time Weiss received a gift had been.

Slowly, Weiss slipped the sweatshirt into the bag once again.

"Thank you, Yang. I... It means a lot to me. To be honest, I've been wearing it all week. It's so warm. I felt safe."

Gently, Yang pulled her into another hug.

"All the more reason you should keep it."

Weiss wanted to savor the hug for a little longer. But she could almost hear the clock ticking behind her. Panic started to bubble up in her stomach as she stepped away.

"I should get going-"

"Hold on." Yang took her hand and guided her forward a step.

Weiss tensed. "Yang, you know I-"

"I know," she soothed her. "I know. Trust me, I know. But you don't have to worry today, okay? I promise." Yang leaned down a little bit, and, keeping one hand on Weiss' hip and the other on her cheek, kissed her full on the lips.

She felt Weiss' little gasp, but it was more from surprise than anything else. After all, this was their first big kiss together, and probably both of their first kisses in general.

Yang was sure to take it easy, moving her lips gently against Weiss'. She could feel the girl's stiff posture relax a little as she started to kiss back.

It came naturally to them both.

Yang caressed her hair in slow, careful strokes, while Weiss moved her arms up to loop around her neck. Yang pulled her in a little more, until their chests were pressed together. She could feel Weiss' heart beating quickly, but discerned it was more from excitement than worry about being late.

After a moment, they parted and caught their breaths. Weiss' face was pink, and she quickly hugged Yang in order to hide her face in her shirt. Yang was feeling warm as well, and she'd never felt better. She felt truly at ease for the first time in years.

"Come on," she murmured. "I'll take you home."

Holding Weiss' hand, Yang led her outside.

Weiss tried to pull her towards the sidewalk so they could set a quick pace, but Yang gave a gentle tug to stop her. Puzzled, and a little worried about the time, Weiss looked up at her.

"Yang-"

"I said relax, right?" The blonde girl gave her an easygoing smile. "I'd never let you be late in getting home. Follow me."

She guided the baffled girl around the side of the building, to where the parking lot was. Yang stopped in front of her dad's car and grinned.

"Ta-daaa!"

Weiss stared at the car and blinked once, confused for a moment.

Until the implications finally sunk in.

Weiss gasped out loud and squeezed Yang's hand a little harder.

"Yang! You... is this-?"

"Yup! It's my car! Well... my dad's, technically, but for today it's mine. I drove here this morning, and I plan to drive home, too. But first..."

Bashfully, she glanced down at Weiss, running her free hand through her hair. "I figured... I could drive you home. I-If you wanted. 'Cuz like... this way you wouldn't have to walk all the way back and worry about being late. What would've taken you twenty minutes before will take you five now. Plus, the weather's getting hotter by the day, and I don't want you to overheat or something when you- mm-!"

She was cut off by a soft, appreciative kiss. Weiss' arms looped around her torso and squeezed in excitement before she pulled away.

"Yang!" Her eyes were wide and sparkling. "I... I don't know what to say... This... this means so much to me... I won't have to worry about being late getting home to Father." She put a hand to her chest, where her heart was thumping quickly. She felt tears rising up behind her eyes. "To think... that you'd do this for me..." The hand that wasn't still holding Yang's reached up to wipe her face a bit.

Smiling, Yang stepped in again to hug her.

"Hey, hey, don't cry. It's okay. I'm happy to be able to help you out, Weiss."

Weiss sniffled and embraced her again, exhaling slowly.

"Are... are you sure, Yang?"

"Whadda you mean? Of course I-"

"I mean... are _you_ okay with doing this...?" Weiss took a step back, and her piercing blue eyes bore seriously up into lavender.

Yang almost flinched.

Weiss knew about the accident years earlier, and she knew Yang's phobia of cars better than most people. So it made sense that she was concerned for her now.

Yang didn't want to think about the bad times, though. She shook her head, leaning down to kiss Weiss'.

"I'm okay," she said. "Like, I said, I drove all the way here today. I've been practicing all week. Some good music and good conversation helps me focus and I don't get scared anymore. It's really not so bad. I promise we'll be fine."

She knew she'd be concentrating on driving a thousand times more if Weiss were in the car with her. She refused to think of what might happen if Weiss got hurt because of her carelessness. But that wasn't going to happen.

Yang was earnest in her response, and Weiss recognized that. Only then did she fully accept the offer.

"All right. If you're sure you'll be okay."

Yang pecked her nose.

"I will be."

She unlocked the car and went around to the passenger's side to open Weiss' door for her, then helped her in. She then got into the driver's seat and buckled herself up.

Weiss was fidgeting a little in her seat, her eyes naturally glancing to the dashboard to catch the time. Yang did her best to put the girl at ease.

"So, what kinda music do you like? Here, find a station."

As she got the car started, Weiss was thankful for the distraction as she turned the radio knobs, searching for a tune she liked. Once she'd settled on one, Yang was already backing out of the parking spot.

She had to admit, she was a little nervous about driving in general, and a bit more so now with Weiss in the car with her. But her instinct as an older sister was to do everything within her power to protect those dearest to her, and right now, Weiss was at the top of that list.

So it wasn't too difficult for her to focus now as she started driving to the parking lot exit, and eventually, onto the main road.

Weiss' heart was beating a little quickly, mostly from excitement at this point. She wasn't so worried about getting home late anymore, but rather, she was thrilled because _Yang_ was driving her there.

She'd only ever been in her father's or her own older sister's car before.

But... Yang was technically her _girlfriend_.

This was an entirely different experience for Weiss. She didn't have to act professional or keep quiet. She was allowed to talk and relax.

Not only did her casual conversation help ease her own mind, but Yang's as well. She talked about her favorite singers, to which Yang eagerly responded with her favorite bands. Yang rolled down the windows to let some fresh air in, and the breeze pulled their long hair back and allowed them to breathe more easily.

The ride went smoothly, and with minimal anxiety on both their parts. Which was a very, very nice feeling.

Weiss didn't once reach for her bag or her stress ball, and seeing that she felt totally comfortable made Yang even happier.

Yang followed the familiar road, taking her time and going slowly.

At one point, the car behind her beeped at her, and Weiss jolted. She saw Yang grit her teeth, her grip tightening on the wheel as a mixture of anger and anxiety started to bubble up. Weiss reached out and lightly rested her hand on Yang's knee.

"It's okay," she murmured. "You're fine, Yang."

Her smile cured Yang's negative emotions on the spot. She exhaled, sending her fears along with the breath.

"Thanks, Weiss."

Only a few minutes later, they pulled up outside of Weiss' house. Yang parked the car and leaned back in her seat, feeling accomplished once again.

"Phew! And with time to spare!" she declared.

Weiss was relieved to see she was right, and they still had a good ten minutes or so. It felt immensely wonderful to know she didn't have to worry about her father getting upset with her.

"Thank you so much, Yang. Really." Weiss unbuckled herself and leaned over a bit to kiss her cheek sweetly.

If Yang hadn't known any better, she never would've thought this was the same girl she'd met several weeks back who'd only scowled at and ridiculed her. She realized that she herself had changed a great deal since then as well.

"No problem. Oh, and um..." She trailed off a bit awkwardly, already having second thoughts about asking this. But she remembered Summer's suggestion, and since she and Weiss were technically dating now, it made a lot of sense to ask her.

She just... hadn't ever been too good with words.

She started mumbling to herself under her breath, her cheeks warm and pink. Weiss understood she was struggling to find the right words. She reached out again and rested her hand over Yang's by means of motivation and support.

"Go on, Yang. I'm listening."

Yang took a deep breath.

"Y-Yeah... um... so like... I know we only really get to see each other like... for our sessions and stuff on Saturdays. But like... I was wondering if maybe, y'know... if there's some other time during the week you're free or something, we could maybe... go out somewhere... if you'd want..."

Again, her voice tapered off, and she had to look down, away from Weiss' eyes.

It took Weiss a moment to understand what had just happened, not because Yang hadn't articulated it well, but because she herself was so shocked by it.

It took her another moment to realize Yang was still waiting for a reply. Weiss gasped softly and gave her one.

"O-Of course! Yang, I'd love to go out with you sometime. Anywhere. We could go out to eat or see a movie, or just shop or walk around. Anything is fine with me as long as it's fine with you."

Yang finally turned her head, peeking timidly at her.

"Really...? Heh, you took the words right outta my mouth."

Weiss smiled and leaned closer once again.

"Then perhaps, I should put them back?"

Yang didn't even get the chance to laugh or reply before Weiss had pressed her lips against hers, giggling softly. Yang kissed back, despite the awkward angle.

But this kiss ended before long, as Weiss wanted to get to her father as quickly as possible. She pulled away and sighed.

"Thank you again, Yang. I really mean it."

"Again, don't sweat it. I'll do this for you every week from now on, okay? We could probably even stop to get some lunch or something beforehand now that we've got more time to kill!"

Weiss perked up at the idea.

"Maybe we could. That would be nice."

"Well, let's text more details later," Yang decided. "Go on now. I'll text you once I get home, 'kay?"

"Please do."

With one last kiss to Yang's cheek, Weiss opened her door and slipped out.

She stood there waving as Yang drove off, until she was out of sight.

. . .

Yang took her time in getting home, and once she had, she texted Weiss right away to let her know she was safe.

Taiyang and Summer were too eager to know how things had gone to keep quiet this time, and Yang didn't mind telling them about how well she'd driven. She told them more about Weiss, and how she'd helped calm Yang down when the car behind them had beeped.

"Sounds like a nice girl," her father mused.

"Very nice," Summer agreed. "Are you going to see her at all this week?"

Yang nodded a little coyly.

"Yeah. We're gonna text details. Maybe see a movie on Wednesday evening."

"That's wonderful!"

For the rest of the day, Yang enjoyed her time at home, helping Summer clean the kitchen and then helping her dad clean the car.

She felt so energized, so rejuvenated, so _alive_.

And she knew it was all thanks to Weiss and their classes together.

Before bed that evening, Yang tore out the previous day's page from her notebook and ripped it up. But there were no bad things she had to write about today.

So for the first time since she'd gotten it, the next page in her notebook was left blank.

* * *

The next few weeks were some of the best of both Weiss' and Yang's lives.

They started texting on a daily basis now, before or after their classes, wishing each other good morning or good night.

They went out for their movie date on Wednesday evening as planned, then went for a walk in the park together on Friday.

When the next Saturday finally arrived, Yang went so far as to drive to Weiss' house to pick her up before their session as well. Strangely enough, Weiss had told her father about Yang, and he wasn't disapproving or angry at all. It seemed he didn't care what Weiss did so long as she was on time to her appointments.

Of course, the news that Weiss' father accepted, or at least didn't _oppose_ , her relationship with Yang, made both of them all the more gleeful.

That morning, they had a nice session together with their instructor and classmates, who also all seemed to be doing better than they had in previous weeks.

When it was over, Yang drove Weiss to a local cafe for a lunch, and still got her home with a few minutes to spare.

Both girls had a much more positive outlook on life, and were doing better in school as well.

One day, Ruby came home to visit and brought Blake with her, and Yang actually worked up the guts to apologize to them for the way she'd once acted in her jealousy. She embraced them both, listened to, and accepted their apologies as well.

The hole that had been expanding in Yang's heart for years and years now had finally started to mend.

Ruby and Blake stayed over that night, and Yang told them all about Weiss. They played games, stayed up, watched movies, and simply enjoyed each other's company.

The next morning, they said goodbye again, until their next school break. Yang told them she was looking forward to it, and she actually meant it this time.

She later relayed her successes to Weiss via text messages, and Weiss praised and congratulated her a million times over.

It was all just a lot of good vibes and positive energy for a while.

Two and a half weeks went by in this blissful manner, where all was finally starting to seem right with the world.

But of course, nothing lasted forever.

* * *

It happened one night.

It was a Tuesday evening, and Yang and Weiss had just gone to the movies. Yang drove her home, kissed her goodnight, and took her leave.

But once she'd gotten home, Yang had eaten dinner with her parents and taken a shower right afterward, then gone to bed. She'd forgotten to text Weiss she'd made it home safely.

Weiss waited for an hour, hoping Yang would text her. But when she never did, Weiss' heart started to pound.

She knew it was probably just a simple case of Yang forgetting. Realistically, she _knew_ that.

But her mind could only stray to horrible thoughts.

 _What if she got into another accident...? What if she's hurt...?_

Weiss could already feel the panic boiling up inside her stomach, acidic and burning, threatening to make her vomit. She was shaking, curled up on her bed in the same clothes she'd worn that day, for she'd been too worried to change.

She started to cry.

She sent Yang several texts, but none were answered.

After an hour and a half had passed, she couldn't wait any longer. Her chest was aching terribly. She couldn't take this any more.

She picked up her phone and called Yang.

. . .

She'd been dreaming about Weiss when it happened.

Yang heard her cell phone buzzing.

At first, she thought it was part of the dream-

-until she opened her eyes and still heard it.

She shot up in bed and grabbed her phone to confirm it. Weiss was calling her.

In over a month, she'd never called her before. That had been reserved for the worst-case situations or emergencies.

And now, she was calling in the middle of the night.

"Oh, shit-"

Yang realized she had six unanswered text messages, and she knew who they were from and why. As quickly as she could, she swiped her phone to answer it.

"Hello? Weiss? I'm so-"

"Y-Yang..."

The voice on the other end of the line was heartbreaking to hear. She sounded so fragile, so scared... There was a tremble in her voice, and she was gasping heavily.

Yang knew she must've been crying all this time. Her heart sank as she listened to Weiss' break.

"Weiss-"

"Yang... y-you didn't text me... I got... s-so scared..."

"I know! Weiss, I know, I- I'm so sorry. God, I..."

She couldn't bear to keep listening. Weiss was sobbing and shaking on the other end of the line. Yang was torn between concern for her girlfriend and anger at herself for being so careless. Both burnt equally as fervent.

This was the first time in weeks Yang had felt so angry. She'd forgotten how it felt during the kinder days, but now it was all too familiar. She clenched her fists, grit her teeth, and growled.

" _Damn_ it!"

She wanted to relapse and curse a lot more, but didn't have the time. She was already getting off her bed and hurrying down the stairs to grab the car keys. Weiss was still on the other end, crying softly. Yang slipped out into the night, trying to keep her voice calmer than she felt.

"Weiss? Listen, I'm gonna come and get you, okay? Just wait for me. I'll be there soon."

She heard a whimper in response.

"No... it's okay... you don't-"

"Too late," she said, opening the car door. "I'm already on my way. Just wait for me, okay? I gotta hang up, but I'll be there soon. Just wait for me."

She closed her phone and got into the driver's seat. She slammed the door shut to channel a fraction of her anger, then started the car.

As soon as she was on the road, she wanted to speed as quickly as the car would take her. It was late at night, and there were only a few other cars on the road. She could do it...

But just before the dangerous thoughts could take over, she remembered to take a few deep breaths. The rational thoughts then trickled in.

 _No. There's always the risk of getting into an accident. It's later now, so there are fewer people driving, but there's a good chance some of them are drunk. Plus, if a cop catches me and pulls me over, I'll never get to Weiss_.

So even though it was difficult and she was so desperate to get to Weiss, she went slowly, and stopped at every stop sign. She just drove a few miles over the speed limit, and instead of slowing down for the amber lights, she sped up to beat them.

In this manner, she arrived safely at Weiss' house in just a few minutes.

She could see a small figure, adorning the same white sundress she'd worn earlier that day on their date. She was curled up on the curb at the end of the driveway with her knees pulled to her chest and her face buried in them.

It was a miracle Yang managed to put the car in park before she jumped out of it and rushed to her side.

"Weiss!" She dropped to her knees and reached out to hold her, pulling her in close. "Weiss! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Are you okay? God, you shouldn't have come out yet. You should've waited inside till I got here." She pulled her trembling girlfriend in closer and kissed her temple. She was relieved to feel Weiss' small hands grip her shirt in return. Her voice was almost inaudible and choked with sobs.

"I just... w-wanted to see you... as soon as possible..."

The anger that had been mounting inside of Yang's chest was quelled a bit when she heard her voice again.

But more worry swirled in to take its place, tightening her chest further. She knew Weiss had suffered another panic attack, and this time it had been Yang's own fault.

"Sorry..." she mumbled miserably. "I'm sorry, Weiss..."

Yang sat herself down in the grass and pulled Weiss across her lap, supporting her back with one hand and resting the other over her stomach. Yang cupped her damp cheek gently, then kissed her for a second to calm her down. When she pulled back, Weiss nestled into the side of her neck and wept.

"Th-Thank god..." she whispered. "I'd thought... something happened..."

"Shhh... it's okay." Yang rubbed up and down her back softly. "It's okay, Weiss. You're okay, and so am I."

Now that they were in each other's arms, the chaotic emotions started to subside.

To them, the world had felt stifling until now, like it was closing in on them, about to collapse on top of them and crush them.

But now that they were together again, the pressure lifted.

The night was still and quiet, save for the still-running engine of Yang's car. There was a faint orange glow from nearby streetlights as well as a silver swathe of moonlight to help them see by.

The loud, rampant rush of blood that had been beating in their chests and heads began to slow, and their frantic breathing was stilled. Now, they could hear the night crickets chirping all around them, and the occasional distant rush of air as a car drove by.

Yang held her for a while, whispering to her to soothe her and fight off the panic. She dipped her head down to kiss Weiss' collar, hushing her gently. She was able to feel Weiss' pulse pounding in her back, even with her prosthetic hand.

Yang's anger at herself melted away for the time being as she focused on helping Weiss. Her girlfriend was still shaking a bit, and though the sobbing had slowed, her breathing hadn't. Yang wasn't sure what she could do to help, but she did all she could.

"Hey. Listen to me, Weiss..." she murmured. "Take it easy. Just breathe with me, okay? Ready? In..." Yang sucked in a slow, steady breath. "And out..." She then let it out, just as slowly, with control. Again, she repeated herself. "All right, again. In... out..."

Weiss was trying to follow her words, though her breathing was much shallower and clipped. Yang encouraged her, maintaining her steadier pace and helping Weiss get there as well.

It took a few minutes, but eventually, Weiss was breathing in time with her, her chest expanding and deflating against Yang's. The blonde was so relieved it had worked. She kissed Weiss' cheek and all along her hairline and forehead.

"Good... Nice and easy. You're fine, see?"

She felt her nod, heard her swallow.

Weiss clung to her for a moment longer and took several more deep breaths against her. Yang waited patiently until she was ready.

When she was, Weiss leaned back and looked up at her with watery blue eyes that threatened even more tears now, but better ones.

"Thank you..."

Weiss closed her eyes as two more tears fell, and leaned in to kiss her. Yang reciprocated as much as she felt Weiss could handle at the moment, then pulled back.

Slowly, she laid herself down on her back in the grass, cradling Weiss on top of her so her dress wouldn't get messy. Yang gazed up at the stars, hugging Weiss securely as she did so.

Weiss curled her arms around Yang as best she could like this, and sighed softly. She rested her head against her chest and closed her eyes.

There was a lot of relief to be relished now, a lot of tranquility to savor.

Yang did her best for a few minutes, committing this moment to memory.

But the irksome coil in her stomach was returning. She was still so _mad_ at herself for causing this, her own forgetfulness having resulted in Weiss' panic.

She soon found she couldn't enjoy their peaceful moment any longer. Grunting, Yang sat herself up, keeping Weiss steady in her lap.

"Hey, you okay?" Softly, Yang pressed her lips to her forehead again. Weiss dipped her head in a nod.

"Yes. Thank you again, Yang."

"It's my fault in the first place," she growled. "Think you'd be up for a little midnight ride with me? I gotta blow off some steam."

Weiss could see the guilt in her eyes - Yang truly blamed herself for all of this. Weiss didn't want her to. She looped her arms around the girl's neck and kissed her again.

"Of course I'll come with you."

"Thanks."

Yang gathered Weiss into a princess carry and stood. She took her to the car, maneuvering carefully to pull the passenger's side door open, then letting her down on the seat inside.

After closing the door, Yang went around and got in on her own side. She folded her arms over the steering wheel for a moment and bowed her head to get her bearings.

On her way here, she hadn't bothered to turn on the radio, and Weiss did that now. She flicked around until she found a station with a calming song, slow-paced, one she knew the lyrics to. Weiss cleared her throat and sang for her as they remained parked there on the side of the road.

Yang had had her eyes closed for the moment, until she heard that angelic sound. It was light and airy, yet strong and supported at the same time, gliding smoothly over every note. It put her at ease, in a way nothing else ever had before.

This was a different kind of tranquility than what kissing Weiss brought her. It was its own kind of comfort.

Yang lifted her head to listen better and found there were tears in her eyes. She wiped them away, then leaned back in her seat to listen more.

The song was over far too quickly, and Weiss was quiet once again. Yang let out a long breath, and discovered the knot in her stomach had come undone. She opened her eyes and beheld her perfect white angel.

"I didn't know you could sing."

Weiss leaned over and kissed her again.

"Now you do."

Yang kissed her back.

After that, they started to drive around the sleeping town, often being the only car on the road. With the windows down, the soft radio music was accompanied by the warm breeze that floated in to caress their hair and ruffle their clothes.

Yang drove slowly and aimlessly for a while, simply enjoying her time together with Weiss, time no one else would ever have with her. These moments were theirs alone.

At one point, Yang realized they were near their therapy building and they decided to park there.

The building that was usually bustling with activity inside and out was now quiet and still. They walked in together, finding the office silent, but with the lights on, as it was open 24/7. The woman behind the desk was the same one who typically worked there on Saturday mornings, and she recognized them in surprise.

"Are you two here to use the equipment?" she wondered.

"Yeah," Yang said as she signed herself in. "Just gonna blow off some steam."

They entered the same gym as always, though again, it was very empty now. The lights were on and the equipment was all there.

Weiss opted to sit down against the wall and rest as her girlfriend went to the punching bags.

Yang let out her rage on them, throwing powerful punches and kicks as she wailed on the bags, shouting and grunting and cursing the anger away and out of her system.

Weiss watched her, not knowing if she should feel happy that Yang was channeling her negative emotions away, or feel upset that she was feeling those emotions at all.

Yang beat her fists against the punching bag for several minutes, until the fire and fury within her began to die down. She stopped cursing and threw another punch.

Then she noticed sweat wasn't the only think dripping off her face. There were tears now, too.

Weiss noticed immediately. She jumped up from the floor and hurried over to her, holding onto Yang as she sunk to her knees. Weiss cradled her head against her chest, holding her close.

"It's all right," she whispered. "That's enough, Yang. Don't blame yourself anymore."

Weiss trailed soft, light kisses through her hair. It was her turn to let her hands map patterns over her girlfriend's back, rubbing her shoulders softly to soothe her.

Yang sniffled bitterly, clenching her fingers into fists in the fabrics of Weiss' dress. She let out a sigh of defeat and acceptance, closing her eyes. She could feel the adrenaline draining from her veins, and her boiling blood began to settle. When she concentrated, she could hear the soft, steady pulse of Weiss' heartbeat beneath the shell of her ear.

Yang pressed closer to listen better. Just as she'd helped Weiss breathe earlier, now Weiss was returning the favor. Her slower, more controlled heartbeat provided a rhythm for Yang's to follow. Eventually, they synched.

It just felt so _right_.

There was something about this. Beyond the fact that they were in love and here for one another during a less pleasant time.

There was something about the hour of the night, about driving through town at midnight to find each other, about sneaking out of the house and driving off together to come here and express their feelings.

It was a small adventure, one neither of them had ever been on before.

And neither wanted it to end yet.

When they pulled back, Yang's eyes had dried, and she voiced thoughts Weiss had been entertaining as well.

"Let's head out. Just drive around a bit."

Weiss helped her up.

"Let's. Just for a bit."

They left the building, and Weiss threaded her fingers through Yang's prosthetic ones.

Without a word, they half-ran, half-skipped across the empty parking lot, beneath the orange glow of the melancholy street lights.

They got back into the car, and within minutes were on the road again. The radio played softly, the gently-whipping wind a constant addition to the tunes.

Yang took them all around town, sometimes letting the car stroll at a leisurely pace, since there was no one else on the road, sometimes going a little over the speed limit.

It was odd. The clock read 1:28AM, and they'd both attended college classes today. But neither of them were tired. Not in the slightest.

Yang glanced sideways to look at Weiss. Her cheeks were lifted and florid, her eyes sparkling, the picture of excitement. She'd clearly never done anything like this before. It really was an adventure for her.

Yang decided to try and do something like this again in the future, only next time she'd bring some money so they could go on a midnight snack run.

She was getting so caught up in thoughts of Weiss that she wasn't focusing entirely on where she was driving. The car stayed on the road as it should, but she realized now that they were coming down an all-too familiar hill.

Yang's grip on the wheel tightened instinctively. There was a stoplight at the base of the hill, and even though it was green, Yang slowed the car.

Noticing the strange change in speed, Weiss peered curiously over at her. She could immediately see that Yang's jaw had tightened as much as her grip, and her eyes had gone wide, almost fearful. Weiss kept her voice low, not wanting to startle her.

"Yang...?"

Though she'd spoken softly, Yang jumped as if she'd yelled.

"S-Sorry."

"Yang..." Weiss could guess what was happening. "You can pull over for a second."

"Thanks..."

Yang did as much, stopping the car just before the light. No cars passed them by or drove on the perpendicular street, even when it turned red, but Yang was still feeling anxious. Weiss reached out and gently coaxed her girlfriend's hands off the wheel and into her own.

"Yang... is this...?"

"...Yeah..." She glanced down at her prosthetic arm and sighed.

Weiss said nothing. She just lifted Yang's hands and kissed them. One of those hands was a little colder, a little firmer than the other, but she didn't care.

They waited for a moment, the carefree music dancing softly on the air.

Yang was already starting to feel better. In fact, she was rather surprised by how short-lived her anxiety was with Weiss there beside her. When she looked over, Weiss' eyes were calm and patient. She offered a small smile.

"Do you feel all right?"

"Yeah," Yang said. "Yeah, I'm good. Thanks, Weiss. I mean it."

The white-haired girl dipped her head.

"Want to drive up a bit more? There's a field."

Yang was already reading her mind. She made sure to kiss Weiss' hands before she returned her own to the wheel and started off again.

She passed through the stoplight without issues now, and continued on for a while longer.

Soon, she stopped the car on the side of the road, by a dirt path.

An open field lie stretched out to the side, a reservoir beyond that. The moon shone unobstructed overhead in crescent form, and a faint grey mist hovered over the grass.

Yang parked the car and turned it off. She got out, opened Weiss' door and helped her out.

From there, Yang put her boot on the front tire and hauled herself up onto the roof of the car. Weiss looked absolutely baffled by how she'd done that so easily. Yang laughed as she reached her hand down and instructed Weiss on how to do the same. She waited for the girl to get her bearings and her grip, then when she was close enough, Yang gave a small tug to help her up over the edge.

Weiss was stiff at first, and Yang could safely assume she had never done this before in her life either, sit on top of a car. She chuckled again.

"C'mere. I won't let you fall off. Promise."

Yang opened her arm, and Weiss wasted no time in sliding in closer.

The night was warm, but that didn't stop them from cuddling up as much as possible.

For a time, they sat there, looking out over the silent field and the distant water, where the light of the moon swayed on blades of grass and sparkled on tiny, shifting waves.

But Yang found she liked it best when it gave a silver highlight to Weiss' hair above all else.

She stroked her fingers through it, and though her prosthetic was limited in its haptic ability, it was still one of the best things she'd ever felt with it. It felt like she was touching moonlight.

For Weiss, Yang radiated a subtle, comforting warmth like the sun, even in the darkness.

The night surrounded them in dancing shadows, cool breezes, and singing insects.

They lost track of time, didn't think about it.

They kissed whenever it felt right, whenever they wanted to.

For a while, they just existed together, and that was enough.

. . .

The first yawn came at what they'd soon recognize to be about 2AM.

Weiss rubbed her eyes as she leaned against Yang's shoulder, mumbling softly. Yang kissed her head and shook her gently.

"Come on. Let's get you home."

She slid off the side of the car, then took Weiss' hands to help her jump down.

Now that their little adventure had come to an end, it felt like they arrived back at Weiss' house in only seconds, and they had to say goodbye all too quickly.

Yang stood there with her on the side of the road and kissed her one last time. Weiss gave her a squeeze and sighed wistfully.

"Thank you, Yang. I feel much better. I hope you do, too."

"I _definitely_ do. Trust me." With great effort, Yang let her go, smiling. "I'll text you once I get home this time. And again tomorrow."

"And I'll see you again on Saturday."

"Yes you will!"

Weiss dipped her head and wished her goodnight. Yang blew her a kiss, and parted from her there on the very same curb where she'd picked her up hours earlier.

She drove home, stumbled back up to her room, texted Weiss as promised, and curled up on her bed.

It was the first time in as long as she could remember that she felt the _best_ kind of tired.

She wasn't physically exhausted, or mentally drained. She wasn't angry or upset.

She was just... tired.

Happily so.

All she'd done to get herself feeling this tired had only been things she'd _enjoyed_ , and that felt good.

It was such a drastic change from what it had once been.

And she knew it was mostly thanks to Weiss.

One day, she hoped she could fall asleep beside Weiss, with both of them only feeling this happy.

She'd look forward to that.

But for now, she'd wait, and make sure to get up early again on Saturday.

* * *

 **A/N: There were so many little events I wanted to cover throughout the course of this story, and a lot of them were here in this chapter. But I couldn't resist writing an epilogue too, so keep your eyes open for that!**

 **If you like my work, please support me on as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	4. Epilogue

**Thanks so much for all the support of this fic! I'm glad to discover a lot of people could relate to the characters and how I wrote them!**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on as Kiria Alice!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Epilogue

Time flew by.

Yang always thought these four months would be the longest, most mundane, awful weeks of her life, having to wake up at 8AM on Saturdays to make a 9AM class where everyone around her would only give her dirty, judgmental looks and mumble under their breaths.

As it turned out, the people she met in Glynda's support group sessions ended up becoming some of her closest friends.

The summer months arrived, and everyone finished up their college semesters. Yang was thankful to be done with school, and her parents were soon busy preparing to have Ruby come back home. Blake would be coming back to their neighborhood as well to enjoy her time off from school together with her girlfriend.

Yang had always thought she'd be bitter towards her sister and her old best friend.

But the anger management classes had helped her immensely, and after reconciling with them on the phone weeks earlier, and having them visit during their previous time off, things weren't uncomfortable between them anymore.

As soon as Ruby walked through the door, she hugged her mother and father, but seemed hesitant about her big sister.

But Yang had wasted no time in opening her arms and inviting Ruby in for a massive hug. She did the same for Blake when she later came over to visit.

Yang no longer held any meaningless grudges against them, nor was she bitter about their relationship. She didn't resent Ruby and Blake, or even Summer anymore.

She never thought she'd be lucky enough to fall in love like normal people did.

But maybe miracles could happen. Maybe she'd gone through enough horrible things in life, and now it was her turn to be happy.

She continued going on dates with Weiss during their free time, and even snuck out on one more midnight drive with her.

Weiss' father hadn't yelled at her for being late for something in over two months now, and the white-haired girl's life had improved significantly without the added stress.

The same was true for Yang. Her anger management methods had helped her significantly, along with the support of her family. Nowadays, she only ever wrote one or two pages a week in her notebook, or crushed a few eggshells from the bowl Summer had left for her. She was talking more at mealtimes, calling Blake and other friends more often, and going out to enjoy the season with Weiss.

Life was just... getting so much better.

So it was difficult for her when Glynda announced their final session was upon them. Finding out that she'd only get to meet these amazing new friends one last time made Yang sad, but she realized she only felt so strongly because she cared about them all so much.

When the morning of their final session arrived, Yang left early to pick up Weiss. She stood beside the car and opened the passenger's side door, waiting. As soon as she saw her, Yang blushed.

"You look gorgeous as always."

Weiss was wearing a beautiful blue sundress with a white bolero over her shoulders. Her hair was loose for the first time in a while, and a small snowflake-like clip was positioned above one ear.

"Thank you." Weiss kissed her softly, then hopped into the car.

They drove to their building, all the while Yang commenting on how Weiss' appearance made her feel cooler in the summer heat.

They signed themselves in for the last time, then entered the gym.

That morning, as their friends trickled in, everyone was trying not to cry.

Glynda asked them to give speeches about their struggles and successes these past few months. Everyone took their turns and told of the progress they'd made, how far they'd come, and how far they still anticipated to go.

Every person there ended their speech by thanking their instructor.

When the last person had spoken, Glynda was trying to stay composed as she stood. She gave a speech about how wonderful they'd all been for her, how she'd loved every minute of working with them, and how proud she was for all the progress they'd made.

"I know you're all going to go far in life. If there is anything you can take out of these classes, please let it be the knowledge that I am proud of you, and that you are not alone. To help you remember that, please feel free to exchange contact information with your fellows. Thank you all for a wonderful session. I wish you all a happy summer."

Everyone applauded, a few people cried. Yang was surprised to find she was one of them. Weiss had to dab her sleeve over Yang's eyes and kiss her nose to help her feel better.

Everyone exchanged numbers and addresses, and a few people made plans to meet up the very next day. A group of them decided to go out together right now and invited Yang and Weiss along. Yang politely refused this time, but promised to join in the next time.

"Right now," she said. "I gotta show off my girlfriend to the family~"

But before that, she and Weiss went to give their personal thanks to Glynda. The woman smiled kindly and dipped her head.

"I'm very honored I could have you girls in my sessions. You're free to stop by any time should you need to, for any reason. I'll still be seeing you around town, I'm sure."

They shook hands, spoke a few final words of gratitude, and parted ways.

Yang and Weiss walked through the office lobby and signed out one last time. Then, hand in hand, they headed out the doors into the warm, sunny day.

"Sooo~" Yang said, trying to hide her sniffles. "You ready to meet my family? Ruby and Blake are there now, too. I know they're gonna love you."

"I'm sure I'll love them, too," she said.

"Buuuut not as much as you love _me_ , right?" Yang grinned.

Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Of course not."

Weiss paused on the sidewalk and tugged Yang down to her for a kiss. Yang happily complied, wrapping her arms around the girl's back and shoulders, pulling her in close. Weiss was a breath of fresh, cool air on this hot summer morning.

They parted, eyes meeting as they always seemed to do after a kiss, shimmering lavender and sky-blue.

Yang realized she'd never really said it before, but she wanted to say it now.

"I love you, Weiss. I really do. I just wanna be with you. And we can deal with all our problems together and help each other like we have been. I never thought I could change like this. But I did change, and it was all for the better. And it was all because of you."

She'd started to cry again, her hands shaking where they were pressed against Weiss' back and shoulders.

Weiss could scarcely believe she'd actually just heard those words. But then again, she'd known of Yang's feelings long ago, as well as she'd known of her own. They'd never spoken directly of their love before, but they'd shown it in many other ways.

Reaching up, Weiss cupped her cheek, catching the tears on her thumb to brush them away.

"I love you too, Yang. Thank you... for loving me."

Before she realized it, there were tears running down her cheeks as well. Yang reached up to clear them away. They each chuckled softly, seeing the other crying like this.

"Weiss, you're a crybaby."

"You started it, you big oaf."

Another gentle laugh.

Another gentle touch.

Another gentle kiss.

The air around them was warm and light, and even when it became cold and gray, they would still be together.

Until the next summer passed them by, and every other after that.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all so much for reading and for the support of this story!**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


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